Monday :: Link Love List

recovering...from an amazing day at the Maker Faire in San Mateo (thank you Joe & Sherry for the tickets!)

researching...credit unions and learning how to keep our money in our local economy

thinking...this is such a clever idea for a wedding cake!

marking...my calendar for late-December when Herge's The Adventures of Tintin hits the big screen.  G has been listening to this series on cassette tapes for months and is the process of  saving to buy the entire series of beautifully bound books.

appreciating...the new artist postcard series my husband helped select for his upcoming real estate mailing here on the coast

wanting...to buy or make one of these dolls for a special little girl in my life

coveting...yet another awesome light fixture for my entryway.  When will I pull the trigger?

learning...about our local cattle ranch in Pt. Reyes, as we toured just a tiny part of its 3,000 acres this weekend via the ranch Jeep.  For three hours we only saw bulls, elk, cows, sea lions, red tail hawks, barn owls & their babies and many, many deer.  Thank you Lucchesi family.  

accepting...that our sweet dog is gone and receiving a home visit from our wonderful vet who gifted us the most precious memory stone to put on her grave (um, it's sitting at the end of Grady's bed where Molly used to sleep for now).

planning...on making these ink blob shirts this summer

plotting...to put the abundance of fresh strawberries to good use with this decadent recipe

finishing...up my two year stint as PTA president at G's school

reading...my first published article (and photos) in this week's West Marin Citizen (co-written with Annalisa McMorrow) about Dr. Bob & Linda Mahley's recent visit to Tomales Elementary School's 2nd grade class and the five heart specimens they brought with them to share.

interesting...post about gender stereotypes in the media and the cool graphics created with all of that info

looking...forward to the first Bodega Bay International Short Film Festival taking place this weekend in our small village

wishing...you all a wonderful start to your week

R.I.P. Molly Gray

Last April our friends let us borrow their dog for the weekend.  It was a test-run for all of us.  They were moving to New York City and just couldn't see Molly in an apartment all day long.  We previously owned a sweet boxer that passed away when Grady was about a year old and this just felt like it was meant to be.

Our son has been obsessed with canines since as long as I can remember, but he had a hard time with the real deal.  Stuffed animals were no problem and he quickly amassed hundreds, naming each and every one and remembering where they came from (friends, family, his own money, etc.).  Plastic figurines were his medium of choice when creating a world of dogs on our living room floor for years and years (and he still does this).  He has two shelves dedicated to books about dogs, treasured Dog Fancy magazines, and his dog encyclopedias have pages upon pages that are dog-earred (no pun intended...).  This boy loves himself a dog.

We decided Molly would join our family and happily welcomed her at the end of the school year last June.  She brought an energy to our home that had been missing.  We had a faithful companion for our son and he was no longer afraid of dogs or, should I say, he was not afraid of his own dog, the new and oh so lovely, Miss Molly Gray.

She loved to shake her hind like she was dancing to a Beyoncé song whenever anyone came to call at our house.  She was so excited when we came home and loved to chase a frisbee (and then proceed to devour it until we had to throw it away).  She made a few escapes from our property over the last year, but safely returned when she was done exploring the open pastures behind our house.

She was often dressed up in Grady's baby blanket and paraded around as Super Dog.  Yes, she most certainly was a super dog.  Grady marked her birthday on his calendar, April 14th, and she turned seven years old last month.

And while she could be found lounging on the deck most of her days, she never denied our little boy when he wanted to use her as a pillow.

She feigned slight disinterest when the new chicks joined us a few months ago, but she kept a close eye on them.  She never once chased our hens or the flock of turkeys that sauntered through our property.  She didn't have time for that, as she was usually busy sunbathing.

She loved to get in the backseat of my car and put her head out the window on our short trips to the post office or to pick up her master from school.

Last week was a hard one for us.  Molly wasn't her usual doggie self and when the vet came to the house to check her out last weekend we hoped for the best.  Within a day or two we knew that our dog was gravely ill.  She was diagnosed with lymphoma.  She couldn't eat or drink due to the growth under her tongue.  The decision was made and we prepared our dog-loving son for the worst.  He had been shooting a documentary about Molly while she was ill.  It is some of the saddest footage I have ever seen.  We said our goodbyes, cried a whole lot, planned a funeral and felt an emptiness in our house that I had yet to experience since we've lived here.

The next day we buried her near a newly planted California Buckeye tree in the middle of our property, put flowers on her grave and reminisced about all of the wonderful times we had with her in the short time she was with our family.  She was such a gift and we are so grateful that Karen, Terence and their two kids shared her with our family.

Rest in peace Miss Molly Gray.  We will never forget you.

Losing My Religion

Steve & Grady circa 2006

Grady came home last weekend inquiring about heaven, The Terror Guy and down there (with right index finger pointed towards my hard wood floors).  Apparently, he's been receiving most of his religious teachings from a fellow-second grader on the bus rides to and from school this year.  Just great, right?  Is this really what they talk about on the bus?  So I guess it is finally time to sit down and talk about organized religion, evolution and the Big Bang Theory with our son.  That only took eight years.  

When I was thinking about writing this post, I couldn’t help but think about how far I’ve come with my own musings on the topic of faith and religion.  I mean I have been baptized three times and all of that was before I even turned 20 years old!  I have been a seeker for most of my life and now that I’m sitting here in rural Sonoma County, it is here that I have finally found my church of choice.  My church is my community.

On any given weekend I can commune with other like-minded individuals at the local coffee shop and debate politics, hold someone’s baby or run into friends.  On my daily trip to the post office, I can get the goings-on of my small town (population 126) by chatting with the perkiest postmistress in all of America.  Just last week, I was offered a beehive from a local as I was exiting the p.o.  You gotta love that!

I enjoy the local firefighters’ pancake breakfast fundraising season that has just commenced in Sonoma County and already have one under my belt, with many more on the calendar.

I just finished helping with the biggest fundraiser the Bodega Bay area community has called Fisherman’s Festival.  It is 100% run by volunteers (over 600 this year) and all proceeds are distributed to local non-profits in our area.  My little boy runs around this festival and everyone knows him, watches out for him and spoils him with treats and attention.  You see, they are in our congregation, so to speak.

We have a fantastic fireworks show over the bay in Bodega Bay, a farmers’ market in Occidental that starts in a few short weeks, musicians who frequent our local bar/restaurant in Valley Ford that we know on a first-name basis and farmers that deliver their goods right to your front porch.  Imagine that.

Goat milk was gifted to me a few months ago, jars of jam, homemade ice cream, newspaper article clippings and books show up at my house from fellow townspeople - just because they thought of me or my family and wanted to share.  My 81-year old neighbor just helped patch a hole in Grady's baby blanket (because I don't know how to knit and she does).

I’ve met a network of parents in Tomales that gather at their park on Fridays and share food, stories and laughter.  All the while our kids are riding bikes, running, swinging and strengthening the bonds of friendship with other little ones.

I guess I’ve been sort of baptized (again) by living in a small community.  It may not be for everyone, but it’s the only kind of religion that’s made any sense to me.

Yes, this is my church.   This I can easily teach my son and know that he will carry it with him his entire life.  Living by example is the only way I can or even want to preach to him.

So when he gets on the school bus tomorrow and is questioned about his beliefs, I hope he shares what he knows for sure and is kind to this little girl and listens to what she wholeheartedly believes.  After all, she’s in our community.  He will see her for many years to come (most likely at a crab feed or a pancake breakfast!) and respect, kindness and friendship should be the religion we practice...even if we don’t subscribe to her line of thinking about heaven, The Terror Guy or down there.

Monday :: Link Love List

appreciating...all the love and time our friend spent making this owl cake for my little boy

receiving...not one, but two original poems from Grady this Mother's Day weekend

planning...on making these for end of the year teacher gifts

watching...the 1969 version of True Grit with my guys

smiling...as G donned his cowboy hat, bolo tie, cowboy boots, red silk bandana & monkey gun as he walked up and down our lane this weekend (post-True Grit watching)

reading...Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

celebrating...with a Roof Party at Tomales Elementary School sponsored by the TES PTA because our entire student body read 9,742 books in approximately eight weeks!

planting...tomatoes, lemon thyme, cilantro, chives and spinach from Mostly Natives

loving...my newly installed dishwasher!

counting...the days until school is out for summer

Mom

Joining the world on September 1, 1970 to the teenage couple, Donna & George.

Mom, thanks for teaching me the value of cute patent leather Mary Janes at such an early age.  I would learn many valuable accessory lessons from you over the years in terms of shoes, handbags, sunglasses and, of course, jewelry.

I have many memories of my younger years reading with you for hours.  How you used to put me in the basket on your bike and we'd ride all over town because you didn't have a car.  Sending me to the landlord's house to play and coming home with peeled tangerines secretly hid in my pockets that you would discover at the end of the day as you were putting me to bed.  Oh!  What a mess I was.  

My first childhood movie memory was going to the Pomona Drive-In with you and dad and watching Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke.  Yes, you were parents in the early 70's alright.

This is one of my favorite photos.  You look so beautiful and that's quite a cake for a two-year old!

I fondly remember sitting on the front porch and waiting for daddy to get home with you.

You had many looks in the 70's and I was apparently one of Santa's helpers in this green elf get-up!

Thank you for the baby pink bedroom complete with a canopy bed, eyelet bedspread, stuffed animals & baby dolls, a walk-in closet that housed my eclectic array of tennis outfits & hippie dresses (as well as for hiding in from you when I was in trouble) and making it a little girl's dreamy retreat.

Thank you for trying to make our holidays more normal than those you had growing up.  For importing flocked trees, hanging mistletoe, keeping the Santa dream alive and then teaching me how to make it all go away on December 26th.  I still follow your lead on that one, Mom.

I love you lady.  Happy Mother's Day.

Monday :: Link Love List

enjoying...the post-volunteer high after working so hard on our super successful 38th Annual Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival

coveting...this beautiful upcycled pendant for my entryway

laughing...at this article by Tina Fey on motherhood

planning...to take Grady here instead of Disneyland

wanting...to transport myself to a deserted beach like this one

reading...Zeitoun by Dave Eggers and learning a lot about Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath of her storm

reflecting...on the last eight years of my life as Grady's mom

watching...my son graduate as a junior scientist at the Gladstone Institute this week

sleeping...for a week after this long, long weekend