Weekending :: Dolores Park + Japantown

Wood canvases in progress

Our mornings have slowly morphed into mini-art sessions.  I am really enjoying the watercolor medium.  It feels lighthearted and simple.  We sanded the edges of some leftover butcher block that Steve had in his shop and then applied two coats of watercolor ground.  This stuff is magic!  It turns the wood surface into something akin to watercolor paper and takes the paint beautifully.

I've been dabbling in watercolors and love the results.  I'm drawn to spheres, circles and hearts.  They are super simple to paint and I love the sweet images they turn into.  I'm trying to paint something every day and work alongside Grady.  It's been the best part of my day lately.

We busted open Under Wildwood (the sequel to Wildwood) and read the first chapter.  What a rich, smart and wordy book this is.  We read it one chapter at a time and stop to look up the big, unknown words and soak up their definitions.  The words from this evening were:  Ushanka, Triumvirate and Brackish. 

Grady added text to my iPhone pictures using the new app Over.  I'm loving the results.

I failed to get Grady to the Rohnert Park Library on Saturday afternoon, so I promised him a fun day on Sunday in San Francisco.  We got up early and packed a lunch, loaded his bike and a backpack full of books and National Geographic magazines (his new subscription arrived this weekend, along with back-issues).

We had driven past the new and improved Dolores Park a few weeks back when we went to Valencia Street.  There were thousands of people congregated at the park and we were headed home.  I promised him a future visit and Sunday was the day.

SF Street corners

I settled in on a grassy knoll and G took off towards the amazing play structure area.  He bonded with a little two and a half year old named Clyde and they played together for over two hours.  The boy's father came up to me and told me what an great kid I had.  I never tire of hearing those words.  Ever.

He offered to buy Grady and ice cream and was seeking my permission.  I joined him and his wife and mother-in-law down in the play structure pit and they kept gushing about my young man.

Grady truly loves little ones.  He would have been an amazing big brother.  And while he doesn't care that he doesn't have any siblings, it is nice to watch him spread his kindness, knowledge and warmth to another little soul.  The boys ate ice cream, we exchanged emails and Clyde gave Grady a big hug goodbye.  Grady wants to invite him to his art show this summer and meet up with Clyde again.  I love knowing this.

Japantown mural & landmark

We were going to head to the Legion of Honor after the park, but it was just too gorgeous to be inside.  The weather was in the mid-70's and the city was alive with activity.  We popped over to Japantown and hit the Goodwill, where Grady scored a few books & I found some sunglasses.

The young, teenage kids were dressed up as action figures and the girls had turquoise and hot pink wigs on.  It was like we were in a Japanese graphic novel and G was mesmerized by all the commotion in the center of town.  We want to go back and people watch.

Steve drilled drainage holes in the bottom of my re-purposed water trough and the holes read GR8Y.  Once it's turned over, it will be our little secret.  I love when Steve does sweet things like this.

I also learned to use two different types of sanders this weekend.  I feel very proud of myself.  Power tools freak me out, but the sanders were a piece of cake.  Grady even got in on the action.

G's basketball team won their final game against St. Elizabeth on Saturday morning.  Our Johns Street neighbors, S+J and Beula, went to the game to root on our team.  Final score :: 23-18.  We are going to the playoffs, as the boys only had one loss this year.  

Afterwards, we came home to spend time with friends on the deck, drinking champagne and enjoying a delicious citrus salad w/ toasted coconut, chopped pecans, mint & a lime-honey sauce, potato bites w/ sour cream, truffle salt & chopped parsley and a double chocolate sheet cake with chocolate frosting for dessert.  It was too hot to sit on the deck, so we retreated to the coolness of my kitchen.  February?  Yes, you are a tricky month for weather.

Our rooster had no name.  She is the one the pictured on the top left and in the  middle (right photo).
The middle feathers are all that remain.

Last night Steve decided to wring our rooster's neck.  You see, we didn't realize that we had two roosters.  When our friend wrung the last rooster's neck on Xmas eve, we thought we were done with all the noise and aggressiveness.  The noise didn't bother me, but Steve found it annoying while he was trying to have phone conversations with clients and have the rooster cackling in the background.  He saved a few feathers and we will have another avian funeral later today.

We have a regular pet cemetery going on in our pasture.

Country living.  It's something.