rian's pages

Doin’ Stuff with Friends

2012-02-29T13:01:00.001-08:00

Our pals Ron and Kay from the central coast came for a visit. It was so good to see them. We took them hiking at Indian Canyons in Palm Springs. It was a lovely day.

Indian Canyons is a very pretty place, with many trails so you can go as hard or as easy or as long as you want.

We were trying to do healthy things.

After the hike we went to the Palm Springs Air Museum, which focuses on WWII planes. Below is the B-17 “Flying Fortress.” It is a fine museum.

Keeping with the healthy habits theme, for dinner we had grilled salmon on sautéed fresh spinach, and roasted asparagus. Simple and easy.

I hope you’re having a great week.

Ah, Spring

2012-02-25T13:31:00.001-08:00

The sun is shining, the pool is sparkling, the flowers are flowering, and the bougainvillea is goin’ to town.

We got our front door. We like it.

Outside Inside

I have a free weekend before Kay and Ron, our friends from the central coast, come for a visit. So I started making something. It’s going to be a table runner. I’m having fun with it.

That’s all the news!

Yep, I’m Here

2012-02-21T18:01:00.001-08:00

We had houseguests over Presidents weekend. My sister Judy brought her teenagers, and a friend from Ohio who I have met a few times. We had lots of conversations over wine, and several good dinners. The teens actually liked the Souvlaki and Greek salad. They turned their noses up at the Spanakopita, which was fine because it meant more for us! I made a tri-tip salad the second night and they scarfed up every last bite. I think the key is to not let them have their usual amount of snacks. They are big snackers. They pretty much only eat things that come in a box or turn your fingers orange, so it was cool when they said how much they liked my food. That was how they put it—“We liked your food.”

Sorry no pictures today, my camera has been collecting dust on the shelf. But we got the new front door and I got a fab bundle of batiks for a table runner that I’m going to start soon, so I’ll have pictures next time.

I’m golfing tomorrow with a new friend. I have never met her--a mutual friend/neighbor from Cypress Ridge Women’s Golf Club where I used to play when I lived on the central coast connected us. She lives there and has a second home here in the desert. She doesn’t have anybody to golf with here because her husband doesn’t play, so we have a lot in common. It’s always nice to meet a new friend. Especially one who golfs and has about the same index.

We have more houseguests coming this week and next, friends from the central coast. Our calendar is full—nary an empty square, hardly a moment of down time. We are researching/planning excursions for our upcoming trips this summer (Alaska, Europe), and I’m working on a book of our Croatia trip when I have a few moments. Everything takes so much time. So, as much as I’ve been hoping to get into the studio, I’ve been busy doing everything but that.

It’s all good.

Monday Musings

2012-02-13T10:22:00.001-08:00

Another beautiful morning in the desert. I love it here. I said I wanted to stay home from traveling and enjoy winter in the desert—there are a lot of things to do and the weather is nothing less than perfect. Since we are not traveling, we’re spending our money on house stuff. It’s slow going but we are making progress.

We finally found some rugs we BOTH liked. The dining room:

The table screams for a table runner and I am going to start on that very soon. I have been waiting to get the rug first. Next is the hated chandelier--can’t wait to get that gone. We are shopping for lighting.

We got a rug for the family room. Love, love love it! And I finally talked J into getting rid of that dated old grandpa recliner for something smaller, lighter, and more contemporary.

We even got a new rug for the powder room. Finally! The old one was left by the previous owners. It doesn’t come across in the photo, but it’s silk and has a lovely sheen to it, and some texture.

Well, the new DR rug clashed mightily with the entry hall rug, so we moved it under the K table. It looks fine there. It was perfect for the last house, not so much for this one, and Riley had had a few accidents on it that multiple shampooing couldn’t fix. So now it has a new home and it adds some much-needed focus and color to the monochromatic kitchen. I love the pleated shade I had made for that glass wall. The afternoon sun is wicked.

But that left us with an empty entry. We liked the round rug there, it widened the area. So we are shopping for a replacement. The door, by the way, is being replaced by one that is being made as I type this. I’d like to get the four columns in the entry faux-painted to look like granite.I’

Changes have been happening outside, too. We took out the pepper tree and put in some more desert-looking landscape. Now the light shines on the house, but it looks neat at night.

In other news, we are gearing up for several groups of houseguests at La Casa A, and very much looking forward to it. Of course I have been playing a lot of golf, too. Tis the season! However, my golf swing has gone missing, if you see it please tell it to go home.

We have slowly been making new friends; it’s challenging because this is a seasonal area and our street is NEVER fully occupied, and our neighbors only visit their houses a couple times a year. But we went to a neighbor’s house for dinner Saturday and I took this salad. I lost the recipe for this terrific salad ten years ago and couldn’t remember it, but the other day it came to me (thank you), and I am quite sure I got it right. I want to share the recipe with you.

Fabulous Spinach Salad (serves 4, all measurements approximate)

8 oz pkg baby spinach
3-4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, chopped
4-5 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/3 cup candied pecans*
1/8 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Dressing
3 TBS good balsamic vinegar
1 tsp finely chopped shallot
salt & pepper
1 TBS maple syrup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

*You can buy candied pecans, but I just toasted plain pecans in a skillet and sprinkled on a tiny bit of brown sugar.

Have a great week!

Let’s Go Golfing

2012-02-04T20:02:00.001-08:00

Today Janice and I played “The Nick.” It’s a very beautiful course but very challenging. Cheryl, this one’s for you.

Par 4. Even if you hit a perfect tee shot you have to lay up and then hit over the water. The green is surrounded by bunkers and moguls of dead Bermuda grass (it's a seasonal thing).

Par 5 to a blind green. Not too much trouble until you take your second shot, and then there are bunkers all along the left, and moguls all along the right. Tiny apron. But it’s beautiful, isn’t it.

Same hole as above, standing at my ball, ready to take my third shot. The pin is about 130 yards away. Must carry the deep bunker to get on the green. Unless you hit your second shot on the right side of the fairway, which I did not.

No, you don’t have to carry the water. Just fotograffin here.

Par 4. Stay out of that ugly bunker on the left and it’s not a difficult hole.

Here’s Janice addressing the ball for a 117-yard par 3. Sand and water on the left, mountain on the right, and a very narrow, very sloping green.

After Janice hit her shot (above), I took mine. My best shot of the day, and an easy birdie.

Hope you had a good time!

Lemon Almond Chicken

2012-02-01T20:35:00.001-08:00

Let’s cook something easy and delicious.

When I make dinner for JJ and me, we split one chicken breast. It’s not a lot to eat, but it’s enough, and we ARE trying to lose weight. This entire meal is about 280 calories, and it’s easy and quick to make. I’ll show you.

Here are the ingredients for two:
Sliced almonds, about 1/3 the little bag
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
Salt and pepper (not pictured)
Olive oil to lightly coat a skillet
Chicken broth, about 1/2 cup (I never measure)
White wine, a splash or two, plus a glass to keep the cook happy (optional of course)
Juice of a small lemon
2 or 3 cloves garlic, smashed/sliced, whatever
1 big tablespoon Dijon mustard
Rosemary
Cornstarch
Chopped parsley
Pound the chicken breast until it’s an even thickness. Salt and pepper.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, toast the almonds until they are golden brown. Remove almonds from pan and set aside. Add olive oil to the pan and brown the chicken breast. Don’t cook it, just brown it. Remove and set aside.
In the hot skillet, add the chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, and rosemary. Cook together for a few minutes until the ingredients are melded together. Add the chicken back to the pan. Sauté the chicken in the goodness until it is cooked through. Mix a half-teaspoon of the cornstarch in a little chicken broth and add it to the sauce to thicken. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat until ready to serve. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley.

We served it with roasted asparagus, which is just coming into season. The calorie count includes the roasted asparagus with olive oil. I roast it at 400 for 30 minutes.

Little Gifties

2012-01-30T17:44:00.001-08:00

I have been playing a lot of golf and not doing a lot of sewing. I’m trying to lose weight, so exercise and toughing out hunger are my world these days. Golf is great exercise.

Meh. I mentioned recently on Facebook that I was in a tournament and we came in one stroke out of second place. Considering the hundred or so participants, that ain’t bad. I wish we’d have won a prize, but that’s the breaks. More importantly, we had a great time and I made a new friend. Sandra invited me to play in the Valentine’s Day Invitational, and I said yes. So I thought I’d give her a little handmade giftie when she comes to pick me up on V Day. It’s a potholder. Cute, huh.

My friend and neighbor Janice, whom I golf with a couple times a month, is having a Chinese New Year themed ladies luncheon Wednesday. I will get to meet a couple more of my neighbors (I’m always networking for potential golf partners), and just hang with the gals. So I made Janice a little giftie, a square potholder and a hot-pad thingie.

I had this fabric on hand, and, being that 2012 is the Year of The Dragon, I thought it was the bomb. One Christmas I gave everybody (including myself) the above round “trivets,” and they are very handy. You can put a pitcher of ice water or a hot casserole dish on a wood table and the heat or water won’t go through.

Everything is lined with Insul-Bright, although I think maybe aluminum foil might work just as well. The trivet has two layers of Timtex and the fabric is fused on, not quilted. The potholder is quilted.

In other news, life just clicks along. Kind of boring, actually. The weather is perfection. Cereal for breakfast, chicken for dinner. I’ve lost a few pounds, although I wish it was more. I played golf three times last week, although I wish it was more.

Thanks for stopping by. Always nice to “see” you.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2012-01-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

I wish I could say that. Alas, my team did not win the tournament today. But we came in third (we were off by one stroke), which was pretty good. It was very exciting to play "The Nick" today (named for Jack Nicklaus, who designed the course), because just three days ago Bill Clinton, Greg Norman, and Phil Mickelson (among others) played there. It is a beautiful course but very, very challenging.

We went to the Humana Challenge Saturday and watched Clinton play. He hits a decent tee shot, but he hit it into the lake on hole #10. He dropped another ball and took a mulligan. The second shot screamed over the lake and landed a respectable distance in the middle of the fairway. We walked ahead to where he would be taking his second shot, and they (Bill Clinton, Greg Norman, their caddies and the secret service) stood around for a long time. Then they all marched back toward the lake.

Were they going to make the President hit it over again? I mean, he's the President, he can do what he wants. Plus, it's "his" tournament. We decided to go over to #17 to watch the pros play the difficult par 3. Bill would be coming through there in a couple hours, so we'd wait there, where we could sit in the gallery. When we got there we learned that they had called a weather delay for wind.

Huh? They're calling the game for wind? Oh, come on. I play in wind all the time, this is nothing! Well, it was something, because back at the grandstand, which you see in the lake above, the very lake that Bill hit his tee shot into, the wind had suddenly gusted 60 miles an hour. Whoosh! The leaderboard went into the lake. The tents blew down. The umbrellas went inside out.

So we walked home, and we could hear the announcer saying, "All persons evacuate to the driving range immediately!" We still had no idea what had happened, we were up against the mountain (top photo) so didn't feel much wind. We would watch it on TV when we got home.

Who said golf was boring!

PS: Lest you nongolfers think I whack the ball from the same tees the pros (or even the men) do, I don't. I play from the forward tees (AKA Ladies Tees although we're trying to get away from calling them that), which are a LOT less foreboding than those other tees. For us, the water doesn't even come into play on #10. Just keepin' it real. Golf is hard enough.

All photos shamelessly lifted off the internet. They did not allow cameras into the tournament.

Postcard from the New Year

2012-01-19T08:10:00.001-08:00

For lack of a topical photo, This is a picture of the dining table after the New Year’s Eve festivities. I neglected to get a before shot because I was way too busy. Several people said they took photos of the table that Holly and Michelle decorated so beautifully. Somebody send me one, k?

Yesterday we finally got all the sheets and towels laundered, the beds put away, and the studio put back in order. Tomorrow the Ladies (that’s what I call ‘em) come to clean. They will do the shower scrubbing and floor mopping. I can no longer do those things. Well I can, but I don’t want to, and it takes me a week to do what two of them can do in three hours.

I played the Norman a couple days ago—last time out I shot a 99—but this time I shot 108. My putting has improved a lot with the new putter and lots of practice, but I got into a few sand traps and couldn’t get out. I had to pick up. Twice. When you get down into some of them you can’t even see the pin, they are seven feet deep. Well, no matter. Janice and I got paired with a delightful couple and we had a terrific time. We all cheered for every great shot. It was a whole bunch of fun.

Now that the fam is gone, we have started dieting. I put on a fair amount of weight with all the travel in 2011. I managed to keep it to a dull roar until October (Africa), and it was like everything suddenly caught up with me. Ka-boom. It didn’t seem to do a lot of good, but we maintained a low-carb lifestyle when we were home. No bread in the house. Potatoes? Evil. But this time I’m doing Weight Watchers. I need bread and cereal in my life. Need. The woman who cuts my hair lost 40 pounds last year on WW and she has inspired me. I like the program because you can eat anything you want, you just have to count it. All the points values are there for you online and I can look up/track points from my smart phone. The high-tech aspect appeals to me. And the points make sense to me—which means I stand a fighting chance of being able to remember them. I never could wrap my brain around the concept of exchanges, or that fats or carbs have certain calorie grams per ounce, because I could never understand it or remember all those numbers. On the new WW plan, it’s very easy. Even I, the most number-challenged person, get it.

Ah, but in a few short weeks my sister and her family and a friend are coming. Now—how to feed a group like this: One [strict] vegetarian, two picky teenagers that eat mainly processed food, a friend who is like us and enjoys wine and eats anything and everything, and us—dieters. I want to try to keep to our plan.
So here’s what I came up with: One night we’ll have Greek. Tzatziki, hummus, pita. Chicken souvlaki, rice pilaf, and a Greek salad. Even weird-food hating teeny boppers can handle grilled chicken ka-bobs The second night we’ll have spaghetti—marinara sauce with meatballs on the side, salad and garlic bread. Everyone can make their plate how they like it. For brunch one day, and I did this for New Year’s and it was a huge hit (we had a vegetarian then, too), make your own breakfast burritos. I just put out the ingredients—tortillas, machaca, scrambled eggs, cheese, beans, etc. It got raves. Everyone loved it. Cuz not everyone loves eggs. And weird-food hating juveniles know their way around a burrito. It's familiar territory.

Today we are going to the Humana Challenge (formerly Bob Hope Classic), which is being played here at PGA West. Bill Clinton will be there. Looking forward to it.

Okay, that’s all for now. Over and out.

Brand New Day

2012-01-15T09:11:00.001-08:00

We took the troops to the airport yesterday at the crack of dawn. We have our house back to ourselves. We promptly took up residence on the sofa and slogged around all day. We didn’t have to be “on,” so we caved in to being exhausted.

First up is to tackle the refrigerators and pantry. The fridge is full of uneaten appetizers, doggie bags, and leftovers. The pantry holds candy, crackers, and kid cereal. Out it goes, all of it! Because we start our diets today. We tried to be semi-good the first two weeks of January, but that’s as far as we got.

Then there are sheets and towels to wash, beds to make and fold away, and then I can return the guest house into a studio. There’s so much to do! It’s a lot of work!

I was invited to play in a PGA West golf tournament next week so I need to practice. I want to do well. It’s important, since the last time I played I was sick and I was awful. Shamefully awful. I’m playing one of the PGA courses tomorrow with Janice and really looking forward to it.

But, even more than that, I’m looking forward to getting back into the studio! Now to find that muse…

Rian’s Guesthouse

2012-01-11T10:26:00.001-08:00

My o my, we’ve been busy. Doing things like swimming, bike riding, and roller skating. I wish I could have had a cool bike like this when I was a kid.

We’re doing touristy things. We took the Palm Springs Aerial Tram up Mt. San Jacinto.

It’s 8,000 feet above the desert floor and there is snow on the ground.

Chris (my son-in-law, on the right) loves to cook so he has been doing a lot of it. I’m very content to sit there with a glass of wine and watch him. Yesterday he and I went golfing and he beat me. Now he wants to squeeze in one more round before they leave and he is thinking about how he could shave a few more strokes off his score. He has been bitten by the golf bug. I know the feeling. It would never have happened if I didn’t lift my head on every fricken fairway shot.

JJ and I are babysitting tonight while Chris and Michelle go out to some of the happening nightclubs in Palm Springs sans child. They leave on Saturday at the crack of dawn. But wait—we’re not done yet—Saturday afternoon the Browns are checking in! It’s a revolving door around here (but we love it). The Browns don’t play golf, but they play bridge, and that’s what we’ll be doing while they’re here. The studio will have to wait.

Starting a New Year

2012-01-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

I don't have a lot to say about sewing because my studio is a guest house and will be for a while.

But I did play on some gorgeous golf courses last week.

First we played Heritage Palms. Nice course, in perfect condition.

Next we played SilverRock. It's a tough course. Humbling. The sand traps just about killed me. But what a drop-dead gorgeous place. The picture doesn't begin to do it justice.

On the third day we played Eagle Falls. One of my favorites.

Here's the Greg Norman Course at PGA West ("The Norman"), where I practice. I like to play this course, too. It's tranquil. Serene. Beauty all around. Can you see why I love this game?

And here is where I am playing this Saturday with Janice. This is the Jack Nicklaus Private at PGA West. ("The Nick") Another drop-dead stunner beauty.

Lastly, here is Indian Springs, my "home" course (not the one I live on but the one where my handicap is kept). It's a friendly course and the women I play with are all very nice. I'm the secretary for my club.

I hope you enjoyed the show.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T02:08:00.001-08:00

From the whole gang!

What’s Cooking?

2011-12-21T23:03:00.001-08:00

A whole bunch o’ stuff!

I have been cooking up a storm. I made quiches, lasagnas, cookies, breads, crostini, and short ribs. We are hosting three dinner parties in a row, starting with 6.5 guests, then 9.5, ending with 12.5 on New Year’s Eve. The .5 is our 3.5 year old granddaughter Savannah.

Our New Year’s Eve party took on a life of its own and grew exponentially—but it’s okay, because our mantra is the more the merrier! And the celebrating goes on into the new year, since we get two New Year’s Days this time. It’s all good. Plus, I have mucho golf scheduled, which is a very happy thing.

I gifted myself with a new putter. I have been thinking about a change ever since I pole-vaulted on it and bent the shaft, like two years ago, and I finally got around to doing it. I haven’t had time to practice with it on a real putting surface yet so I can’t report on it, but I like the way it feels. Who knows if it will help me putt better—I am a terrible putter—but it certainly can’t be worse than my too-heavy, bent-shaft putter.

I sold Godzilla. (Godzilla is my quilting machine/rack.) Its new owner is coming tomorrow to help me dismantle it and we will load it into her van and off it goes…well, that is if she shows, she might have changed her mind. I have mixed feelings about selling it, which surprised me, but I really need the space more than I need the rack. And I rarely used it. The timing was perfect because I was going to take it apart this week anyway and store it in the garage.

The sailboat quilt made it safely to my son and he loves it. Unfortunately one of the two gift cards went missing from the box, which means one of my granddaughters won’t get a Christmas present. I’ve been on the phone with the customer service people, but so far no luck. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I hope I can get a replacement.

Anybody been watching X Factor? Who do you think will win?

Melanie has the chops, but she sounds like so many female singers; nothing new there. I like Josh because he’s gritty and soulful and he sings the kind of music *I* like to listen to. Chris is loveable, but I’m not a big hip-hop fan and he’s kind of a one-trick pony, but there’s no denying he’s the most relevant and unique, so I think he’ll win.

Have you noticed more people saying “Merry Christmas” this year instead of “Happy Holidays?” Is it just me or do you sense a greater feeling of politeness and good will this year? I have. I wonder if there’s any correlation.

Over and out for now. Thanks for tuning in. Merry Christmas! And Happy Chanukah, too.

Bragging Myself Up

2011-12-15T17:58:00.001-08:00

I don’t usually brag, but I gots some cool stuff to share with you.

First, my book came! Yay! What a thrill. I created it, I edited it a zillion times, I knew every square inch inside and out. But holding it in my hand…well, words can’t describe. I was pleased in every way.

What did I learn? You have to have very clear, sharp photos. Even the ones you think are perfectly in focus, you find out they’re a hair off. Blame the guy driving the safari vehicle who didn’t understand the concept of “stop.” He would roll slowly, try to get closer, and the animal would run away. It drove us all crazy. Still, it was a fun project and I love, love, LOVE my book!

Next up, here’s the quilt I’ve been working on. I actually packaged it up and THEN I realized I forgot to take its picture, hence the fold line. Sheesh. My son is counting the years until he retires and sails around the world. That’s his dream, and the title of the quilt is “Dreaming.”

But wait, there’s more. Can you believe I WON my Eclectic Tournament? Yep! I played really good today. Everything just clicked. I got four (4!!) pars, and only a couple double bogies for a gross score of 97. That’s a fantastic score FOR ME. A lot of the ladies in my club play in the 80s and 90s, so we all get to deduct our handicap, which is the great equalizer, and I have a high handicap. I am JAZZED! This is my second tournament win, and the 4th time I’ve broken 100. It ain’t the money (obviously), it’s the glory. And the glory feels reeeeel goooood.

Just for fun, the last show ‘n tell item is fake candles. I got ‘em online at Frontgate. You can’t see it in the picture, but they flicker. They have a little “flame” that has a light on it, and it dances back and forth. And, if that isn’t enough, they turn on and off by a tiny remote. I’m easily amused.

Well, I’d best come down to Earth and get my work done. Reality—what a concept. Hope you’re all having a wonderful lead-in to Christmas!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like…Chaos

2011-12-12T17:17:00.001-08:00

I got the tree done. It only took two days. Many of my beloved chartreuse ornaments got broken in the move. They’re ordinary glass balls, but they’re ~~hard~~ impossible to find, so I marked my calendar for next October so I can go to Stats in Pasadena. While I’m there I’ll play a round of golf or two with my pal Cheryl.

Here are the fruits of my labors. I was going to practice golf today in hopes of getting a little more length off the tee for the second round of my tournament, but A) I am too sore to move, and B) it’s raining. Screw that. So I tweaked the tree a little more.

The Christmas cards are ready to mail and my to-do list is laid out. I have something to do each day. Lest you think I’m obsessive…nah, I’m just lazy. This way it’s out of my brain and on paper and I sleep better, and it’s spread out so I don’t knock myself out. I have three days set aside to cook, then I’m having the cleaning service in. If I get the cooking done in two, I can play golf.

Whoops, I didn’t anticipate this mess. There are even more boxes behind me. J put them in the garage and we put the two leaves in the dining table. I am delighted that we can get the full length of the table (124”) and still be able to walk through the room. It’s the largest dining room we’ve ever had.

The next post-it note on my calendar is planning the menus. A sit-down job. Ahhh, I need it.

Baby it’s Cold Outside

2011-12-08T21:56:00.001-08:00

What is wrong with this picture? The golf course is frosted over. The sun is just coming up and it is 38 degrees. Brrr!

I played golf in this today. It was 38 degrees. I busted my butt to get to the course in time (at the crack of dawn), skipping makeup and breakfast, going nuts at red lights, only to face a frost delay. Hurry up and wait…sigh.

Wearing four layers, one feels like the Michelin Man. But by the fourth hole the sun is high and it warms up rather quickly, and the layers peel off. In spite of the cold I played okay—I played to my handicap anyway. This was the first round of a two-round eclectic tournament. My net score was in the mid-70s despite an ugly start due to the cold.

I’ve been busy! I finished the quilt and I’m happy with it. Pictures later (it’s a gift).

I made a 50-page picture book of our trip to Africa, here’s a screenshot of the cover:

I had a great time making it, but I have to say it was intense and laborious. But only because I was a newbie and constantly on a discovery curve. I wanted to get it done in time for the holidays and I did. It’s being printed as we speak. Now I want to make books for our other adventures. What a fun way to relive your trips. Beats the hell out of DVD—you can pick up a book, it’s low-tech and tactile. By the way, I used Blurb by BookSmart and my book cost around $50. The program is free.

Now that the above projects are done I can concentrate on Holiday plans and preps. The cards are halfway done, that’s the good news, but no shopping has been done; and the tree, well, maybe this weekend. Yikes! Our ToDo list is long!

Life is good. I love being busy!

Many Projects

2011-12-01T11:11:00.001-08:00

I’m always busy—who isn’t. I have several projects in the works. I discovered a cool program to make a book and I’m working on one for Africa. Then I want to make books for our other travels. Very cool. And fun. But, as with everything else, there is a huge learning curve and lots of trial and error. It’s like you get to use both sides of your brain at the same time.

This is the cover. Minus the red outline, which comes from my screenshot app. I’ve been having a lot of fun making this. Don’t you just love the pattern on this zebra’s hindquarters? It looks like his tail has been braided.

Here is a screenshot of a page. Two pages, I mean. I’m very impressed with myself.

I made our Christmas cards, too. We got them yesterday—it’s a happy moment when they turn out as good as they looked on the screen. The lion’s paws don’t show up in the photo, but they do on the card—this is a screenshot from Shutterfly.com and I obviously didn’t snip all of it.

This is the first time I didn’t make quilty cards. But then, I traveled most of the year.

Here is my other “project.” Learning this thing. But it’s a whole lot of fun and the apps are a kick in the pants. Figuring out the touch is the hardest part. You get your finger close to a hotspot and it goes. And not always when you wanted it to. Lots of “woops!”

Q School is being held this year at the course where we live. It has been interesting to watch the [large] groups of players, caddies, scorekeepers and spectators as they walk the course. If you are an amateur golfer, you can play in this six-day tournament to earn the right to enter PGA tournaments with amateur status. If you are a professional, you can’t play in the amateur events, and you might not be good enough to make any money on the PGA, so a lot of top-notch players don’t turn pro. The Q stands for Qualifying. I don’t know why they call it School.

I was going to go over to the practice tees today—got a golf game Sunday—but the weather has turned nasty. Cold and windy—b-r-r-r. Even the intrepid Q School golfers are wearing all their layers. (The above picture was snapped yesterday.) Pity the poor people who didn’t pack warm clothes. They look very unhappy out there.

Quilting is progressing on the sailboat quilt. But I can’t show ya yet—cuz it’s a gift. You never know who might visit the blog.

That’s all the news for now. Stay happy and healthy.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T09:00:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone is having (or had) a wonderful Thanksgiving. At the end of the day, family and friends are what it’s all about…any day of the year. J and I are blessed to have two successful, happy children, three lovely granddaughters, a multitude of friends, and the time and money to travel and do the things we want (like golf). And we have our health. We’re pretty creaky, the old joints don’t work as well as they used to, but we have no major ills at this point. For that I am truly grateful. Truly.

On a lighter note, I am thankful that the Thanksgiving cheesecake looks okay. I didn’t notice the direction that said to only put half the cream in the mix, the other half was to go in the topping, until I put the batter in the pan. I was afraid it would be goo so I cooked it a little longer and I think it’s okay. Then I thought I had scorched it but the brown color is because it’s got pumpkin in it—doh. Well, we’ll see when we eat it. That is gingersnap crust on the sides, not burn stuff. I know the topping and crust are good, because I did quality control...

Another thing I am thankful for is having this bugger pieced, and that I like how it looks. I have the threads chosen, but I haven’t thought about the quilt-line design yet. I’ll be shoulder-to-the grindstone after Thanksgiving to get it quilted in time for Christmas—and it needs to be mailed.

Family and friends are coming for the holidays (and beyond) and we are so excited about that. Once the holiday stuff is all put away I am going to take an online class for painting on fabric—I am done procrastinating! Think how much better the above piece would look with some shading on the sail and glints of light on the waves. I tried painting a sample with Jacquard paints that I had on hand but it just looked muddy.

Thanks for stopping by! Love you lots.

Not Dropped off Planet Earth

2011-11-16T09:10:00.001-08:00

Just busy! Oh my!

Well, as you may know, we went to Las Vegas for our daughter Michelle’s 11/11/11 birthday blast last weekend. Boy, did we ever have fun. Michelle planned the whole schedule from soup to nuts. Here are a couple pics:

At Spago on the third and final night of partying. Jim, Me, Michelle, Cheryl, Holly, Christian, Christina, Alan, and Chris, Michelle’s husband and a great SIL.

The girls at STK in the Cosmopolitan. The guys are around here somewhere. I’m not sure what’s up with the varying heights of us.

We golfed, we gambled, we drank tony cocktails, we dined, we went to swanky nightclubs. We gave it our all. It was so much fun. We know how to party.

Eat, drink, make merry—all that, plus traveling the world is RUINOUS to the waistline! No matter how careful you try to be. J and I have started our diet blowout. Last night I made salmon, which went on a bed of sautéed spinach, and asparagus. A squeeze of lemon from the neighbor’s tree. Delish!

I’m still working on the sailboat quilt, I will have the background finished today. No pics just now, it’s a Christmas prezzie.

Weather is glorious. The snowbirds are back and the desert is teeming with old people who don’t know how to drive. Golf season is in full swing here in the desert. Wish I was playing better.

In other news….there is no other news. I’m still standin’. It’s all good.

Key Lime Season

2011-11-08T10:39:00.001-08:00

We have had another bumper crop of key limes this year—I can’t keep up with them. I have been freezing the juice in ice-cube trays and will make key lime pie when the troops come at New Year’s. Meanwhile, I experimented with some Key Lime Martinis.

I made them like margaritas but with vodka instead of tequila. I am not happy with them. I think the trick is to use a smidgen of sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar, which you NEED to counteract the acidity of the limes. Then it might taste more like the real thing…and not be so hard on your esophagus.

I’m almost finished piecing the background of the sailboat quilt. I have kept the sky very muted because the sailboat is going to have a big spinnaker. It will be brightly colored, but I haven’t decided what colors I’m going to make it.

The luggage has to be brought out again. I have been packing for a trip to Las Vegas, and, I am taking so much! Good grief! I need clothes for golf, clothes for hiking and for just hanging around, and clothes for dinner and disco. This trip is going to be so much fun! And I can’t wait to play golf Thursday and Friday! Woo HOO!

What’s Goin’ On

2011-11-03T07:34:00.001-07:00

Hey Marvin Gaye…

The weather is absolutely gorgeous. It gets a little warm (90) in the late afternoons, but it cools down (40) at night and we can sleep with blankets on. We no longer use the AC. I can open up the doors to the studio and work in the fresh air and natural light.

I’m piecing a quilt for a prezzie for son Andrew. It’s a companion piece to this. I hit the nail on the head with that one, as he has been dreaming of sailing in the future. Maybe this one will inspire him further.

In other news, we are having the front landscaping re-done.

Our HOA, which is just our (long) street, decided all the homes needed re-vamping, and they assigned a budget of $1,000 to each home to spiff up their yard (you could spend more). We took out a couple of trees that were creating problems and we removed shrubs in favor of desert-type plants, and rocks. It’s a cleaner look. When they put in the landscaping 10+ years ago they obviously didn’t put much thought into it. And, styles have changed.

Next week we are going to Las Vegas for daughter Michelle’s 11-11-11 party. It’s not a milestone birthday, but her birthday is 11-11 and the date is the thing. There will be 12 partygoers and she has planned some pretty wonderful fun. And I will play golf with Alan and Cheryl, who are also going. Should be a major blast.

So, life clicks along. There is always plenty to do.

My Best Picture

2011-11-01T20:21:00.001-07:00

She kept prowling around and making a snarly “rowf.” Our guide said she was looking for a mate. She spent most of the time in the bush, camouflaged. But she climbed out and up onto a fallen tree limb for just a moment.

Big Game Safari

2011-10-31T08:45:00.001-07:00

While it was nice to be in a city (Jo’burg) again, everyone was pretty tired. Looking at city sights, even though it included interesting Soweto, couldn’t roust us from our torpor because we were exhausted. Every one of us fell asleep after lunch.

After going on a couple game drives in Zimbabwe and Botswana, I was questioning the sanity of staying on an extra two days to fly out (and back) to another game preserve. We had seen so much already, and this trip had been arduous. It’s definitely not for sissies. Twelve of our group, plus our guide Tony, went home and ten of us flew even further out to nowhere, feeling adrift without Tony.

We stayed in thatch-roofed huts—it was very nice. There were windows all around, each hut facing out to a wild area where elephants munched lazily nearby and warthogs walked on the deck.

Monkeys made themselves at home in the open-air restaurant.

Lordy it was hot there. I am guessing 105 degrees F, but it was dry. No humidity at all. We went on an evening game drive and saw this guy, a rare white rhino. Safaris go out at dawn and dusk, because that’s when the animals are the most active. One must wear DEET and take malaria meds out here. Can you imagine what the early settlers thought when they first laid eyes on these huge and strange-looking animals?

We were very pleasantly surprised when our driver stopped at dusk and set up a bar (and snacks) on the hood of his Range Rover. Of course they have cold bottled water for you, but vodka and tonic with lots of ice? Oh Baby, this is living!

We went on several more drives, but I’ll synopsize and just show you some of the animals I saw:

Finally, a last sunset (with cocktails in the bush) before the impossibly long trip home tomorrow. We were all glad we stayed on the extra two days and agreed it was very much worthwhile.

I’ve enjoyed making this travelogue to share with you, it has given me something to keep me occupied while I can’t sleep at night. The end.

Botswana

2011-10-30T11:26:00.001-07:00

We crossed into Botswana for a game drive in the Chobe Game Reserve. We had to walk across the border. Did you ever read any of the Ladies’ No 1 Detective Agency books? This is the place.

Once we crossed into Botswana, we boarded these ten-passenger land rovers. Climbing in and out of them is a trick. Someone is using my camera to take my picture. I have the big zoom lens on today, so you can’t see the vehicle.

We saw a lot of animals today and I took hundreds of photos. Here are just a few. “Hey, Mr. Warthog!”

Kudu. It was hard to resist singing that song, “You do what you do…” whatever.

I just love the giraffes. So majestic. It is incredible to be so close to these animals. There are no fences here, they come because there is water. (The Chobe River.)

The baboons are very cool.

Did you know it takes two years to incubate an elephant? They’re so big, you might wonder how they could possibly “do it.” I know the secret: They do it in water. Elephants are very prolific, by the way. Their numbers are increasing. It’s actually becoming a bit of a problem. They eat a lot and can denude a forest in no time.

After a long day on safari, we crossed back into Zimbabwe and returned to the Stanley & Livingstone for one last night before flying to Johannesburg for the final adventure.

Zimbabwe

2011-10-29T20:23:00.001-07:00

Zimbabwe used to be called Rhodesia, named for Cecil Rhodes. This is where Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs, bred to hunt lions, are from. They must have all been out chasing lions because we didn’t see any.

We stayed four nights at the lovely and veddy British Stanley and Livingstone (“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”) Lodge. Our group is having breakfast on the patio. I am photographing some of the animals that continually parade by. It is adjacent to a game preserve and has a watering hole.

This morning we have a kudu, an impala, and some baboons. I sampled kudu at Sossusvlei. It tasted a lot like like caribou. We have had the opportunity to taste a lot of game, like wildebeest and zebra for example. Some was surprisingly good, some pretty awful.

There is something about seeing animals roaming in their natural habitat that is wonderful and amazing. Here come some cape buffalo for a drink at the watering hole. We’ll see a lot more animals later on.

We are here to see Victoria “Vic” Falls, the largest waterfall in the world. But it is hard to see because it falls down into a deep chasm. You can’t look up at it like Niagara, the third largest (Iguacu in Brazil is second). And the mist obscures the view. But it is incredible. This is the Zambezi River, by the way.

We went on a river cruse and saw some hippos. They checked us out, too.

It was a beautiful sunset on the Zambezi River.

The next day we rode an elephant. These are really big animals! It was kinda scary.

We went on our first game drive. In a violent thunderstorm, I might add. But it was pretty cool, after all. We got very close and a little too personal with this elephant. He turned and looked like he was going to charge us for a frightening moment. Jim was yelling to the driver to get the hell out of here. He is coming our way.

Some zebra at a salt lick. They pronounce Zebra like Debra over here.

This is a cape buffalo. The rain has intensified the animals’ color. The buffaloes always stare at you. They are very curious. And handsome, in their own way.

Namibia

2011-10-29T09:32:00.001-07:00

Namibia is hauntingly beautiful. It has wide open savannahs and sand dunes, and unusual rock formations. It’s vast. Massive. There is nothing out here. Nothing on two legs, that is.

Namibia was settled by the Germans. One might ask why in the world would they want it. The answer would be that it has a deep water seaport, but there was nothing of interest (to me) there. We saw flamingoes and salt mines. Namibia has gems and uranium, and access to fresh water. That would explain the fine homes on the coast.

But out here it is very dry, and very hot. It gets roughly one inch of rain a year. We are very much out in the middle of nowhere.

A welcome pit stop. We were 17 females and 5 males so there was always a long queue for the loo.

There are no restaurants out here. While we were climbing rocks and examining cave paintings, they set up this canopy for us and we had a delicious picnic lunch with ice-cold beer. Everyone said it was the best potato salad they had ever eaten. Happy, happy.

We (finally) reach our destination in Sossusvlei. It has been a long, hot, dusty day. This is our tent. It’s half tent, half structure. I liked this place a lot. You could hear animals outside at night, and the Milky Way lit up the night sky.

We were awakened at 4:30 AM so we could see the dunes at sunrise. The dunes are amazing. But what captivated me most was the color of the grasses against the rust color of the sand. It is striking. I was sure I had never seen that color of green before.

We boarded 4x4 vehicles and rode (very bumpily) through the soft sand to a place where we could walk up the crest of a dune.

A family of ostriches crossed the road in front of us.

I think Namibia was my favorite.

Apartheid

2011-10-28T15:43:00.001-07:00

This is a complex subject, and I changed my mind—I won’t belabor it here. One has only to Google it—the whole story is there, and it is very interesting. But I will say this: Apartheid may be over, but racism is still alive in South Africa. But, one needs to remember that apartheid was only abolished as recently as 1994. That’s not a very long time.

No visit to Cape Town would be complete without a trip to the prison on Robben Island.

This is the cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment. He was convicted of sabotage in 1962. His cause was anti-apartheid.

On a lighter note, this is a real lion. He seemed to like having his hiney scratched. You’re supposed to walk alongside them, but they walk very fast (and go where they want to go) and I was having a hard time keeping up with him.

Guinea fowl. Aren’t they cute!

The long (and unpaved) road to Namibia.

A herd of mountain zebras gallops in front of the coach.

Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope

2011-10-28T02:54:00.001-07:00

Cape Town is dominated by Table Mountain, which sailors could see for miles when rounding the southwestern tip of Africa.

It was started in the 1600s by the Dutch as a way-station for the Dutch East India Company. You can see the Dutch influence in some of the architecture, as well as the language, Afrikaans, although English is the official language today.

Around the time England was colonizing the world, diamonds were discovered in South Africa, and the British decided they wanted it. They invaded, and the Boer War ensued. There were not only the Dutch to contend with, but the black natives, the Zulu. That’s enough about history, but what grabbed me was that the Dutch, driven out by the British and in search of farmland, used covered wagons. Here is one panel of a massive room-size cross stitch, depicting their trek. Looks a lot like our pioneers, doesn’t it.

Here is the Cape of Good Hope, a windswept, mountainous promontory and the most southwest tip of Africa. It was initially thought that the Atlantic and Indian Oceans met here, but they don’t.

This is wild and rugged Cape Point, one of the highest coastal cliffs in the world.

And, guess what, because it’s the southern hemisphere, they have penguins.

Here is a Protea, which was discovered in South Africa. It grows wild everywhere.

Next, a little about apartheid and Nelson Mandela.

Hi, I’m Back!

2011-10-26T18:44:00.001-07:00

Africa was fantastic! Way more than I expected. Jeezo peezo, it’s really far away. I think it took 36 hours to get home. Which means, I need to get over jet lag and unpack…stuff like that—then I’ll be back with some pictures. But we had a terrific holiday and we made it there and back with no mishaps. I missed ya!

Yers truly at the Cape of Good Hope, on the southern tip of Africa.

On The Road Again

2011-10-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Off we go. Again.

Back to the southern hemisphere. So many more stars down there.

I'm not taking the laptop because wifi is spotty and this is an adventurous trip. But I'll share my travels with you when I return, around the end of the month. We'll discover a lot of new things about our wonderful planet.

This is the last big trip for a while. We decided not to go to Australia for the total eclipse in 2012 because there will be another one on August 21, 2017, conveniently cutting a path across the United States. Instead, we booked a cruise around the Iberian Peninsula next September.

Over and out for a leetle while. See you real soon.

Dates

2011-10-02T12:00:00.001-07:00

Just a few miles from my house are bunches and bunches of date orchards. Let’s have a look.

These are female date palms; the males do not bear fruit, but produce pollen. There is one male tree for every fifty female trees.

Let’s have a closer look inside those wrappers. Date palms were imported from the middle east, they’re not indigenous to California. The fruit has exotic names like Deglet Noor and Medjool.

The date shake, however, IS indigenous to California, and something very special.
Here is the recipe:

Don’t you just want to go out and get some dates? I like my dates stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Serious goodness.

Overseeding or Why Desert Golf is so $pendy

2011-09-30T14:32:00.001-07:00

It’s autumn, and time to change the grass. Huh?

Golf courses in the desert use two kinds of grass. Bermuda in the summer, Rye in the winter. Why? Because each grass is finicky. Bermuda loves heat. The hotter the better. But when the days start getting shorter, the Bermuda turns brown and dies off, just like deciduous trees turn colors and drop their leaves. You can still play on it, but you wouldn’t enjoy it and golf courses couldn’t charge the ridiculous prices they do. So they put rye grass seeds down, and the rye grass will live until it heats up again.

This Bermuda is starting to turn brown. Look—some idiot did not sand his divot. Tsk.

But it doesn’t really die, it goes dormant. It’s sleeping under there. The gardeners have been busy taking up the dead Bermuda so they can lay down the rye. It’s like raking leaves. The lighter green areas will soon be lush green, and the moguls will turn golden brown.

Just look at all this dead grass! It’s stinky. We do get clouds. Rain, too.

This is what it will look like in about a month, when the course reopens for the season. It’s nice to hit from that lush green grass. The brown stuff, not so much. It’s scratchy like straw. The ball behaves unpredictably, and not in a good way.

In the spring, the Bermuda will wake up and everything will turn green, and the Rye grass will die forever. And, because they took out the dead stuff last fall, the fairways will be fresh, healthy, and not thick. You still want to stay away from those moguls, though.

As a golfer, I knew about overseeding because every golf course closes down for a month right about now, but I didn’t understand it completely until I lived here. So now you know, too.

Let’s Cook Greek Tonight

2011-09-28T12:19:00.001-07:00

Do you like Greek food? Where you live you are probably getting into fall weather, but here in the desert we are just beginning to emerge to the outdoors.

This is my recipe for Souvlaki. It’s very easy. You can make it with beef, lamb or chicken. It is healthy and won’t hurt your diet.

First you have to marinate the chicken (in the fridge) for a few hours:

In a zip bag:
boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS white wine
juice of one lemon
fresh or dried oregano
Greek seasoning
finely chopped garlic, as much or as little as you like

Meanwhile, make the tzatziki:
Greek yogurt (plain, low-fat—Voskos is a good brand)
1 cucumber- peeled, seeded and shredded, and the water squeezed out
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
a little drizzle of olive oil

For the salad:
Romaine lettuce
red onion, thinly sliced
Greek olives
Feta cheese crumbles
tomatoes, chopped
green pepper, thinly sliced (we can’t tolerate them so they were omitted)

I dressed the salad with a little fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. That’s all.

Grill the chicken, pile on the salad, and serve with the tzatziki and pita bread. I brush the pita with olive oil and grill it with the chicken. Serve with a crisp, dry chardonnay. Clos de Bois is a good choice.

Shopping list: BS chicken, olive oil, white wine, Greek (or kalamata) olives, oregano, Greek seasoning, pita bread, Greek yogurt, Feta cheese, garlic, 1 cucumber, 1 lemon, red onion, Romaine lettuce, Roma tomato, green bell pepper.

OPA!

My Back Yard

2011-09-23T19:47:00.001-07:00

Sunset. It is so beautiful here. Sure, it was 110 degrees today, but that’s what air conditioning is for.

Another look, through the pepper trees…

I don’t miss the central coast weather, but I do miss those cold nights sitting in my hot tub…
In other news, I’m still battling my cold but I am improving. I did get out to buy shoes for my trip to Africa.

Aren’t they fun? They’re kind of like a sneaker but they have a lot of gnarly tread for light hiking. No socks necessary! They’re Mephisto’s and they were 40% off! They’ll be great on the cobblestones of Europe or on the trail.

Now to find the energy to go for a walk…but I think it’s coming!

Well, that’s all that’s even remotely interesting. Hope you have a wonderful fall weekend!

Best Laid Plans

2011-09-21T10:52:00.001-07:00

I had grandiose ideas of what I would accomplish in the three weeks at home before we leave for Africa. The list was long. I would walk or work out on the elliptical every day and lose the ten pounds I put on over the summer, I would go shopping for a few needed items of clothing and new walking shoes—and break them in—before the trip, I would spend some time in the studio, I would clean out and winterize the motorhome, I would shampoo the carpets in the bedroom, I would…

Alas, none of that happened. Instead, I had jury duty, a summer cold stopped me in my tracks (tissues not pictured), and I rationalized that the carpets could wait until our return. I was too foggy-headed to think about making art and I could order safari clothes from a catalog. I still have to get the shoes, but I indulged my need to rest above all else.

I actually watched ten minutes of a soap opera. I never got those. Now that social mores are so much more relaxed and accepted, what in the world can they do to be shocking today.

Looking on the bright side, the timing couldn’t be better. I didn’t get sick until I got home and I will be better before we leave. Everything else can wait. Except the shoes.

Fun on the Way Home

2011-09-15T21:08:00.001-07:00

Some things about the Southern California freeways crack me up. This bridge always makes me wonder. They planted trees on this bridge. How can trees grow on a bridge! This is a relatively new freeway (I-210) so only time will tell.

Another thing I find amusing is how they disguise cell towers. Look closely and you will see that this tree is a cell tower. Look even closer and you will see that we have not cleaned our windows in a while. Sorry about the dirty window, but we need to buy a ladder so we can clean them. It’s on our list of things we need to get around to. Some day.

Here’s one disguised as a palm tree. How clever.

The tree on the right is a phony. An interloper.

Big trucks are scary when they pass. On some freeways the lanes are so narrow your mirrors practically touch. And their draft blows you into the next lane a little too much for comfort. While I’m on the subject, you should give motorhome drivers a wide berth—we ain’t truckers. Don’t confuse us with someone who knows what they’re doing. We have limited visibility and we’re old. Just sayin’.

And then there’s wind. We have to go through the Banning pass every time we go anywhere. Think it’s windy here? Sometimes a wind gust blows you into the next lane whether a car is there or not.

There are a gazillion of these wind turbines out here in the Banning pass. Because it’s damn windy, that’s why.

Well, that’s all for now. We will sleep in our own bed tonight (although the moho bed is very comfy) and get back into our routine tomorrow. See ya around.

The Grand Finale

2011-09-14T16:10:00.001-07:00

Temperatures in the desert are back in the double digits and we are [finally!] making our way home. We are camped out under the trees in a swanky RV resort near Solvang, California.
But before we left Pismo Beach, we went to the beach for a last walk on the pier and one more cup of beyond-belief clam chowder from Splash Café.

Catching up with old friends has been hell on the waistline. It seems there is no shortage of wining and dining when we and our friends gather. I’ll have to spend hours on the elliptical every day. Or else buy new clothes.

Alan & Cheryl drove up from Los Angeles to meet us for a couple rounds of golf. This is Alisal, one of my favorite courses. Did you ever see the movie Sideways? Remember the golf course scene? This is the place.

Another famous locale from the movie. (Where Miles met Maya.) I love this place.

Cheryl and moi at The Hitching Post. She beat me by two strokes today. Dammit.

The guys.

Life continues to be a great big blast. Thanks for stopping in!
Next stop: Home. I am SO looking forward to getting back into the studio. But first, a nap.

Beautiful Day

2011-09-07T09:45:00.001-07:00

By the time I awoke, the sun was already breaking through the fog in Pismo Beach and it promised to be a warm, sunny day and I had a date to go golfing with Carolyn. Oh happy day.

This is my pitch shot from 80 yards out on the impossibly long par 5 ninth hole at Blacklake. J always challenges me to get bogey (+1) on this hole. I one-putted for a six. It can be done!

I ran into another old friend at the turn. Del and I played many rounds of golf together over the years. What a nice surprise. But this is a small town and we have been running into people we know everywhere we go—to the point where it has gotten to be a little scary. Terrible picture—we’re all “golfy.”

I never want to forget how beautiful these eucalyptus trees are with their twisty trunks and shredding bark.They’re hell on a golf course, though. Right Cheryl?

Later we went to dinner with Carolyn and Tom.

The view from the window. The fog is rolling in and after I snapped this photo it obliterated the sun for the day.

The night before, we had dinner at Bob & Judith’s. Judith just returned from Italy and made us the most delicious antipasto and fettuccini Bolognese. She is a brilliant cook, and, if that wasn’t enough, she won’t let you help with the dishes.

It’s not easy to party this much for three full weeks in a row. But we are doing our best.

Too Much Fun

2011-09-05T11:25:00.001-07:00

I can tell you this, when I get to the Pearly Gates, I will be breathless, saying “What a ride! What a life!” I sure hope there is an Afterlife, because just imagine how much fun we’d all have there!

Here are Strider and Delilah with their parents Ed & Deb. Ed & Deb retired last year and bought 46 acres on the central coast, and are almost finished building their beautiful spread. We know them from back when they first came to Southern California, 25 years ago. Strider and Delilah are Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Nice dogs.

We went wine tasting and had a lovely picnic.

We spent the weekend with our good friends and former neighbors Bill & Jeanne. We played bridge for two whole days non-stop. I couldn’t figure out how to make the camera timer work so Jim snapped the photo. This lifestyle is hell on the waistline!

The dogs are Chase and Buddy. Chase (left) is 6 and Buddy is 14--that’s about 100 in people years. He is old and has congestive heart failure, but he can still catch the ball. When we lived on the central coast, I used to pitch balls over the fence to Buddy with my ball launcher and he never missed one. They’re Border Collies. Great dogs, and very smart. It was hard to say goodbye to Buddy because I know I will never see him again. He’s so sweet.

We went to Jocko’s for dinner. Jocko’s is the sleaziest dive around, but they serve great steaks at bargain prices. J says, “Just don’t look at the floor and you’ll be fine.” It’s kind of a tradition in these parts. If you haven’t eaten at Jocko’s, you ain’t shit.

Here we are at the bar waiting for our table. It is early, we had a 6:00 reservation, and it still took the better part of an hour to get seated. But that’s Jocko’s—it’s always like that. A small Spencer steak for $21 is about four inches thick and could feed a family of five.

Well, that’s all for now, more fun is on the calendar, and more golf! We are booked solid! It’s great! Until next time, Happy Labor Day!

Campfire Tales

2011-09-01T10:50:00.001-07:00

We have been enjoying the central coast and seeing friends. Hey, it’s cold here! Drives home the point of why we moved away—validation. Here’s our campsite. Notice the front tires are off the ground. Yikes! Makes for a jiggly house, but the site wasn’t level and we like it level otherwise every thing rolls downhill, the microwave door hits you in the ear, stuff like that.

We went wine tasting with Mike and Marty. The four of us go way back, over 25 years, and J and Mike go back even further. We were close friends until they moved to Indiana. They have since returned to California and are living in Paso Robles. It was so good to see them. After the wine tasting we cooked steaks and sat around the fire back at the campsite. Old friends are the best.

We had dinner with Ron and Nancy, former neighbors. Ron and I both worked on the Cypress Ridge website, and the four of us used to go golfing together. We had a great time at Sea Venture in Pismo Beach, where the view made up for the lackluster food. But that’s pretty standard on the central coast. There are two grades of restaurants here: Not Good and Not Bad. After dinner we want back to our campsite and built a nice, warm fire. And got toasted.

See you ‘round the campfire!

The Beautiful California Central Coast

2011-08-26T15:59:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite stretch of Hwy 101—near Santa Ynez and Buellton. It personifies the golden, rolling hills of California, studded with Coastal Oaks. Am I sorry I left and moved to the desert? No.

Of course the first thing we did was have a beach party with our dear friends Ron and Kay. Jim is digging a hole where we will build a campfire. Because it’s cold here.

You’d never know it’s August—the beach is nearly deserted. Debby Mc, this one’s for you. The snowy plover is alive and well.

The fog is gathering and bringing even colder air with it.

But we have the fire to keep us warm. Ahhhh, a campfire—nothing better. NOW we’re camping! It turned out to be a beautiful evening.

Of course you KNOW I’d play golf with my good friend Carolyn! I hit some great shots, and I hit some stinkers. WHY did I leave my windbreaker home…

It’s so nice to see old friends, and golf is so much fun. Life is good. I think we need to spend every summer here.

Ventura, California

2011-08-24T09:32:00.001-07:00

We are parked for the night on the north side of Ventura. Can you see the traffic whizzing by on Highway 101? It’s deafening, even inside with all the windows closed.

Because we’d be navigating the freeways of Los Angeles we decided we’d break the drive up into two days. We could do it in one, but it would have been too much stress. Fortunately we know the LA freeways like the back of our hand and we understand the traffic patterns—I can’t imagine how people navigate those roads if they don’t have experience. Driving them in an RV was pretty white-knuckle in some spots! Especially the Camarillo Grade between Thousand Oaks and Oxnard. 7%.

Here we are, in space 52. Rover is second from left, with the black front. This is what camping in an RV lot is like. It’s okay for one night. Yes, it’s gray—it’s early morning—you’re seeing the marine layer that rolls in every evening. As the sun gets higher in the sky the marine layer will burn off and it will warm up (warm being a relative term) and be sunny.

We brought a frozen lasagna and garlic bread from home and watched the news streaming on the laptop (no cable TV) while we ate dinner—inside, because we’re freezing. Then we played some games and curled up for the night, under blankets. It’s cold here! Cold and damp. It’s in the 50s, and we’re used to waking up in temps almost twice that. I am very glad I brought several “sweats” outfits and my fuzzy slippers, which I don’t think I’ve worn once since we moved to the desert. It amazes me how different the climate is, only 225 miles away.

People are walking around outside in shorts and t-shirts. I’m wearing a hoodie jacket inside. I guess my blood has thinned out.

We are parked just west of Oxnard. Big Ventura doesn’t show on the map, but tiny El Rio does, which I’ve never even heard of. Today we’ll finish the drive up the 101, to our final destination in Pismo Beach, just south of San Luis Obispo—me old’ stompin grounds.

Palm Trees

2011-08-22T08:43:00.001-07:00

It is a beautiful morning in the desert today. Let’s look at some palm trees in my neighborhood.

We got small ones. That’s my house, by the way. Looks like every other house, just the colors are different.

We got tall ones.

Short, fat ones.

And some that look like pineapples on sticks.

Some have sparklers. Still others have dates that hang down in huge clusters, but I didn’t see any of those today. These are all right around my house.

Some have fronds that look like this.

While others have fronds that look like this.

Some provide lots of shade.

Some don’t. Some are smooth.

And others are rough and thatched. These are all well-maintained trees, they prune them twice a year with a cherry picker. Otherwise they’d have dead fronds hanging all the way down their trunks.

They have one thing in common, though. They can really withstand the wind.

We saddle up the pony today and tomorrow we roll north. We’re going to Pismo Beach, where we lived for a while, to feel some cool weather and see old friends. Although it’s beautiful here today!

I love it when you step outside in the early morning and it’s like 75 degrees (instead of 90) and you go, “Wow! It’s cool!” It’s like a gift. To remind you of how wonderful it will be when the summer heat is gone.

Have a great week!

Not Much to Blog About

2011-08-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

We brought Rover home today--we had dropped it off for repairs. All done. The door deadbolts easily and doesn't fly open anymore, the kitchen drawer stays latched shut even on left-hand turns, and the oven door front panel no longer falls off. JJ is getting very good at driving it and maneuvering it around.

We have been doing things like going to the doctor and dentist, pedicures, haircuts, buying a new garbage disposal, blah blah blah. Boring. But I've managed to do a little in the studio finishing Sax Man.

We're busy, but as you can see there isn't a whole lot worth writing about. We're pretty much just between trips, and that's where our heads are at. We're looking forward to seeing old friends on the central coast next week.

The desert is breathtakingly beautiful--even in summer. Oh sure, it's hot, 110 today, but I'm getting used to it and the nights are incredible.

Rollin’ Home

2011-08-16T09:45:00.001-07:00

Well, our month in San Diego County has come to an end and we are rolling Rover home. Jim is driving the rig and I am following in our car because we haven’t graduated to towing yet. This picture was taken on northbound I-15 near Temecula.

We dropped Rover off at the dealer to have a few new-coach things fixed. Like the door sticks and is hard to open, but sometimes comes open by itself. We woke up twice to find the door wide open even though it was locked and we were sure we shut it. That’s not good.

We had a great time in San Diego, we enjoyed my old hometown a lot, and if we don’t take Rover up the coast to Oregon next summer we’ll go back. I like Rover, but I have to say this, four weeks at a stretch was one week too many. I started getting antsy and missing my house. And whoever said I’d marvel at how big my house was when I got home was right.

After we take care of some things here—laundry, doctor, haircuts, etc., we roll to the central coast to visit friends and neighbors, have a few beach parties, go to favorite restaurants, taste some central coast wines, PLAY SOME GOLF, and enjoy the cool beach weather.

Happy trails!

Cruisin’ Grand

2011-08-12T21:25:00.001-07:00

Every Friday night in Escondido, a bunch—like hundreds—of people bring their classic cars and show them off or just cruise up and down Grand Avenue.

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE classic cars. They’re so sleek and sexy.

Talk about street art. Very California.

The purple one is an “axle dragger.” I think it’s a Buick, but it has been chopped down so its running board is practically touching the ground. This one comes with a babe who has a tree growing out of her head.

Everyone loves the Corvette. What a great car. We used to have a Vette—a little newer than this, but it was black.

All kinds of people and vehicles cruise Grand. Check out the dog. His name is Pepe. I know this because it is written on his tiny helmet.

This Plymouth has Power Glide buttons instead of a gearshift. Does this take you back? Did you fiddle with the radio buttons on a car like this? I did. But then I’m old.

Hola, Tamale Guy

2011-08-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

We're in Rosarito Beach, Baja California, about 20 minutes south of the US border.

This is the Tamale Man. He has a loudspeaker on his car and comes around every afternoon to peddle his tamales out of the trunk of his car--made fresh, every day. He sees me with the camera and waves. JJ buys me a tamale for one dollar. It was excellent.

This is Susan, our host. she went to Croatia with us. We're trying to talk her into going to Europe with us next summer.

A squadron of California Brown Pelicans glide by.

The house looks out on the Pacific. Those are the Coronado Islands in the distance.

Now we are back in our little motorhome. Monday begins our fourth and final week in San Diego County. It's been a gas!

Beautiful San Diego

2011-08-04T10:30:00.001-07:00

We went to Balboa Park yesterday. It’s a lovely park.

We went to a couple museums and a botanical garden. Below is the botanical garden.

It’s built out of wood and is nearly 100 years old. Let’s get up close and personal with some orchids. All photos clickable.

This one you’ll recognize as Georgia O’Keeffe. We saw it in the art museum. So lovely in its simplicity.

Last but not least, we hit Rosie’s. It’s legendary in these parts. They have a whole ROOM full of batiks. Yes, I bought some.

Quilt Shop Hop

2011-08-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

Our RV sits in an area with four big quilt shops. I opted to not go to IQF Long Beach yesterday because it's such a long drive and I really only cared about the vendors booths. I can see many of those quilts online anyway.

Well, I hit one of the shops yesterday. They had a good selection of batiks. This is my loot.

I laid in some sky, water, leaf, and border fabrics. That third one from the bottom is planned for the music that will come out of Sax Man's sax.What color is music?! I tried to find the loudest fabric I could. I may go back for that screaming lime green one...

This shop is having a fabric painting class next week and I may go to that. I've been wanting to do fabric painting for while.

We are going golfing tomorrow, then Wednesday we will go to the Botanical Gardens in San Diego and I'll stop by Beverly's and Rosie's.

JJ is going to play golf--keep your fingers crossed--this is a big deal; a milestone. I am taking him to an executive course with a 117 slope rating. Hoping for a slam-dunk.

Retirement How-To Lesson 1

2011-07-29T15:52:00.001-07:00

Postcard from San Luis Rey Country Club. Having a great time, wish you were here.

I've Moved (Back)

2011-07-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I know it's a drag to change your readers and links. But I hope you will, and I hope you will keep in touch. I hated to move back to Blogger--not that I dislike Blogger, but I didn't want to take the time to redesign a new blog. So I ground around in Wordpress too long, putting off the inevitable.

Ya see, Wordpress went south on me. I don't know what went wrong. All I know is, I couldn't fix it. Blogger is more user-friendly anyway, so here I am. I hope you'll come along with me.

The welcome mat is out.

Love,
Rian