A Year in Photos & Words :: 2012

I've taken the month of January to really disconnect and listen to my inner voice that told me I needed to slow way down, rest and reflect on the last year, as well as the one ahead of me.  

We've been home a lot this month due to sickness and found a quiet groove by puttering around the house, indulging in video games, movie watching and organizing our surroundings.

Nightly rituals of boiling water and sipping tea really set the pace for our month and I enjoyed the quietness of January, my favorite month of the year.  I wanted to look back at 2012 and commemorate it somehow, so that's what I've done below in a few photos and words.  Follow me...

• Moderation.  My mantra and inspirational word for the year would be Moderation.
• We spent several gorgeous January days at the beach with the Rangels.
• Attended the Bodega Bay Crab Feed with the Mathers' clan
• Spent "the best day of my life, so far" in the city with Grady.  We ate at Benihana's (which he loved), strolled Japantown's Goodwill, walked up and down Valencia Street and visited 826 Valencia + the cool taxidermy shop next door
• January found us at the de Young Museum & the Academy of Sciences with the Rangel girls
• SL & G went to Southern California to celebrate Bea's 90th birthday

• We met 104 year old Miss Rhea Grimm & G interviewed her and learned about her life
• Lambs are everywhere in February and we stopped often to photograph them
• Homemade mixed media Valentine's Day cards + SL's awesome crab cakes
• Lots of storms, mustard blooming in the fields & bouquets of daffodils all month long
• Harry Potter #2 and Hugo were this month's favorite book selections for the boy
• We've had big storms & weekend basketball games
• The Bodega Bay Cabaret was a hit & G stayed for both shows and was called up on stage at intermission by the Russian Emcee!

• Working on the Sea Ranch Lodge renovation project kept me busy this month
• There was a lot of fort building in the back pasture & hikes behind our house
• G's first ballet w/ the Rangel women - Romeo & Juliet at the SF Symphony Hall
• Games were all the rage this month - Yahtzee, chess & Jenga!
• David & Manuella were here from France
• Bobcat killed one of our chickens on St. Patrick's Day
• We cleaned up Salmon Creek Beach 
• I'm working on my first political campaign for the re-election of Supervisor Efren Carrillo

• The Tall Ships visited Bodega Bay this month and helped set off the 200th anniversary celebration of the Russians coming to Bodega Bay!
• We slipped in two road trips to Southern California this month (yes, two!) and helped Lavinia celebrate her 90th birthday and spent Easter at the Christiansen compound
• G performed "Stairway to Heaven" on the recorder, along with the 3rd, 4th & 5th grade classes at Tomales Elementary School - absolutely priceless
• We attended Kai's art show in Forestville and were very social this month
• Birthday breakfast celebration for a certain nine year old, complete with homemade donuts & presents opened before school
• Gigi arrived on G's birthday and stayed with us for a week
• A new mountain bike was his big gift this year
• The 39th Annual Fisherman's Festival happened and my mom watched Grady, made meals and took care of us during this crazy weekend

• May found us in San Francisco a few times and G studied cartooning with Emma Capps at 826 Valencia
• Strawberries are finally in season and I always forget how good they taste when picked fresh
• Piano recitals, birthday parties where you get to do archery, belated birthday Lego cakes and Mother's Day is how we spent some of our time this month
• G finally got his wig snipped and thought he looked really cool with his new professionally cut hairdo 

• Sunset Magazine Celebration weekend with S + J & G
• Local elections were upon us and Supervisor Efren Carrillo was re-elected!
• I hit the road w/ Jill & Sissy and relaxed in Big Sur before school let out
• Harvested our garlic crop & picked strawberries at Swallow Valley Farms (and made jam ;-)
• Father's Day was spent at True Grass Farms for an amazing brunch & bubbles by the Estero, complete with hayride and guitar picking 
• The guys biked round trip to Tomales with the Rangel women (approximately 15 miles)
• A week of sleeping in and then the summer academies started at TES, where G would focus on marine biology with Mr. Risley

• July was all about being a kid and having fun in the summertime.  We packed it full to the brim and we loved all of it!
• Fireworks, feather collecting, s'mores, soccer practice
• Peach harvesting, meeting a friend from Russia!, making first-ever pickles & redwood cross from CYO camp
• More s'mores, first tomato of the season, dinner parties with friends & golf camp
• Daily drawing journal, dining alfresco, camping at Gerstle Cove with the days and swim lessons
• We stay-cationed at the Mahley house in Bodega Harbour
• G discovered the Rohnert Park Library and it became his new favorite

• First-ever CYO day camp + one overnight.  G was nervous and almost didn't stay for the overnight part, but he would have missed s'mores, spying on the older camps, watching a movie under the night's sky and feeling like a big kid
• We went to Southern California, again, to visit the Christiansens
• Legos, soccer practices, books and cooking at home were all front and center this month
• The Big Event in Bodega was a sweet highlight and the Tippi Hedren look alike was funny
• Blackberries started to show themselves and our first batch of blackberry jam was delish
• Wildwood by Colin Meloy was the best book I read this year.  I shared this book with Grady and we loved the magical forest that is Wildwood.

• School is back in session and I get sad for the fun-driven summer plans
• I turn 42 this year and celebrated quietly with my guys
• Soccer season is in full swing & G secured Mombo's as the team sponsor.  He wrote the owner a heartfelt letter and his teammates were stoked!
• Our first visit to the Legion of Honor to see the Man Ray exhibit
• Bert's mom passed away and I flew to Southern California for the services
• G got a big haircut for 4th grade and was quite nervous the day before school started.  He has the same teacher as last year, Mr. Demsher.
• Reading, drawing and soccer are keeping this boy very busy
• We cheered Isabella on as she completed the Medio Fondo with her mom - over 67 miles on her bicycle and up over Coleman Valley Road.  Super. Star.

• The Angry Hippos made it to the Harvest Cup playoffs and ended up with 2nd Place for the season
• We hiked Muir Woods as a family and it was magical (hot, but magical)
• Our family participated in the Russian River Mud Run 5K, along with the Rangel clan
• The Annual Chute Pumpkin Carving Contest found Steve's bulldog pumpkin taking 2nd place
• G was really into Origami this month and spent hours in his art studio making cootie catchers in the color palette of the Star Wars' characters, mainly Yoda
• Grady raised $620 to help his 4th grade class with the school-wide jog-a-thon.  He completed 20 laps overall
• Obama was re-elected and that was a relief!
• We got a few new chicks from Hands Full Farm and discovered two roosters in the flock!
• Mush ball is the chosen recess activity and Steve made one for G to take to school (only to lose, get sad about it, write a note to Fil the janitor & presto! Mush ball returned)

• We said our goodbyes to Ollalieberry, our 23 year old llama neighbor
• Grady & I flew to Arizona to see my mom and the extended family and it sure was a nice visit
• The 1st ever Pie Auction was put on by the Valley Ford Young Farmers Association and was a total hoot!  This has to be an annual event and I did "win" three pies + a one year CSA subscription to Bloomfield Farms U-pick program.
• Steve roasted a beautiful turkey and we hosted Thanksgiving with Scott, Jill, Eric K. and had Patty & Charlie stop by for a glass of bubbly before all the food eating began
• Suzann's annual tree-trimming party is a highlight of my year and always takes place on the Saturday following Thanksgiving
• The weekend weather was gorgeous
• Grady took a slip off our deck while taking out the compost and ended up with pomegranate seeds all over his face.  I thought he knocked his teeth out.  He was banged up and sad.  So was this mama.  Broke my heart hearing him scream like that 

• Crab feeds, holiday bazaars, craft fairs, birthday and xmas parties - December was full of them
• We chose to keep it simple (or at least try to) this holiday season and celebrated little things each day with the use of the Advent calendar - I loved this practice & so did G
• We had major storms and road closures
• Steve's dad drove up for xmas & to celebrate his 70th birthday
• We hosted our annual xmas eve open house & Anna Erickson wrung this rooster's neck on her way out the door - never to be repeated, I'm sure - that girl can make an exit!
• Scott & Kacy and the boys showed up a few days after Steve's dad left and we rung in the new year over a savory meal with Scott & Jill.  Poor Steve was quarantined for most of their visit, as he was sick, sick, sick.
• G did not get a iPod touch from Santa and learned that you can't always get what you want.
• Grady read like a mad-man this year and read a grand total of 417 books for 2012!  Amazing.

How did we do all of that?  

Wow. 

I'm tired at the end of this post.  What a full and wonderful life we've created.  I had fun looking back and it helped remind me of why we work so hard, live where we live and how very lucky we are.

My husband is not pictured much here on this blog and I'm sure he's quite fine with it, but he's usually off working hard so that I can spend my days seeking beauty, creating memories and learning how to manage my time as wife, mother, sister, daughter & friend.  I've got a good one in that man of mine.

Here's to a great 2013.  I can't wait to see what happens.

Weekending :: Walt Disney + Valencia Street

Flip Flop weather in January!  Yes, really.

Our weekend was long and full.  A few trips to Bodega Bay wherein we visited with friends, went to the beach (twice), had the requisite hot dog at the golf course, dropped soup off to a sick friend, attended the annual crab feed, visited with the former postmistress and popped in one of Steve's open houses on Cliff Avenue.   We had a lot to do in that little town!

I love you more than bread.  I do.

We also worked on our second batch of Valentine's Day cards.  We started saving these plastic bread ties (is that right?) several years ago for a friend who incorporated them into his art.  I noticed that some of the plastic pieces had little heart-shaped pieces cut out of them.  G quickly divided them up and we set to positioning them just so and affixing them with our strongest glue.  Oh, and added a silly sentiment.  I think they are just great.

My purging and organizing continued throughout the weekend.  I tackled the dreaded jewelry hutch in my bedroom, parted with lots of books from Grady's overflowing bookshelves and created harmony in my closet.  My house feels clean and pared down.

Waffles & Walt

We had a family day in the city on Monday (MLK, Jr. Day).  The only museum that wasn't closed on Monday was the Walt Disney Family Museum, so we gobbled up G's homemade waffles and hit the road.  The museum is located in the Presidio and is housed in a renovated, former barrack.  It was tastefully done and had loads of letters, drawings, old films and you really learned about the genius of the man behind it all.

Views from the museum of the Golden Gate & the awesome paint samples from years gone by

There wasn't a lot of bells & whistles or flash to the museum and the history ended around the time that he built Disneyland and started his foray into television.  We also learned that he only lived to be 65.  What a life.  We then out to a gift shop (naturally, right?), but it was just a regular size museum gift shop and wasn't too obnoxious.  Very different than the Disney Store at our local mall!

G's favorite part of the exhibit?  The jars of paint pictured above.

Valencia Street has great street art

We ventured over to Valencia Street and tried to locate two southern BBQ joints, to no avail.  We ended up having a late lunch at Luna Park and it was fantastic.

We stopped in to 826 Valencia & Paxton Gate.  G acquired a small bag of porcupine quills and a raccoon penis bone. I don't know if I should be amused or concerned.  I think I'm both.

Father-son reading & a bunch of birds atop the Golden Gate

The guys started reading Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and had a tough time with the slang.  I love watching Steve read to Grady.  I'm a very animated reader and Steve is slow, quiet and steady.  I think our reading styles say a lot about us.  They're pushing through, but this one might take a little while to finish.

I love long weekends.

My January Cure

It's hard to believe it's been 10 days since I last wrote in this space.  The days have been flying by.

My world lately

I'm 20 days into my January Cure and it feels so good.  My goal project for the month was to give a little love to a dead corner in my living room, which houses the mammoth red hutch we've had since we got married.  To that end, I've purged and reorganized the cabinets & shelves and turned it into a proper bar, complete with all of our glassware, booze & Italian ice bucket that Jill gave me for Xmas.  I've also added a small rug & removed the huge painting that Steve was never a fan of (however, it now resides in our bedroom?!) and have plans to hang some new art on the wall nearest the hutch.

I've also done the daily assignments of the January Cure and made lists (oh, how I love a list), did a major kitchen purge & cleaning, decluttered books (hard!) and media, performed a closet overhaul for myself and will tackle my dreaded jewelry hutch today.

1.  Newly sanded & oiled counter tops
2.  Anna Erickson's new mobile chicken coop
3.  Living room BEFORE photo
4.  My nightstand on-deck stack
5.  New corner in my bedroom (art moved from living room + new lampshade)

I even got Steve in on the action and he sanded and oiled our kitchen counter tops.  They look beautiful!  He also retrofitted our kitchen credenza, so that now I could keep larger items in a more convenient and accessible spot behind on the newly created shelves that live behind the little doors.  Oh, it feels so good to walk into our home right now.  Light and airy, clean, organized and calm.

My illness took hold last week and I had a small relapse.  I think I was pushing myself too hard and decided to clear my calendar as much as possible for the week.  It helped.  Rest and the cancellation of night meetings also did my psyche some good.  As in the past, all I really want to do in January is stay home, nest, cook, read and take care of my guys.

4th grade basketball buddies + Valentine card production

We jumped in and started working on our Valentine project and G completed (ahead of schedule, even) his class Valentine cards.  They turned out super cute.

Last week, a Montana artist asked me to sit for her and she drew my portrait for a future show.  She has also asked to draw Grady and I can't wait to see it all come together.  I had the giggles while she painted me, as it was a bit odd to have someone staring at you and know that they are interpreting your face and mannerisms.  It will be a fun show and I'll update the progress here.  Here's a link to her work.  She lives here during the winters and is best friends with my farmer friend, Anna.  They built this amazing mobile chicken coop (pictured at the top of the blog).  Those girls can do anything.

I went 18 days without drinking and feel really good about it.  I have been waking up early every morning and getting a lot of work done around the house and on my consulting gigs.  Evening tea has replaced my evening cocktail and I've been in bed most nights by 9 pm.  This body and mind needed refueling.

I've been witness to so many sunrises this month.  Every time I witness a sunrise, I think it's the most beautiful.  Pictures never do it justice, but I keep trying.

January shadows & silhouettes

The light in January is my favorite.  In the late afternoon it spills into my kitchen and is a honey-colored gold.  It casts these amazing shadows throughout the day and I can't help but take lots of photos of our silhouettes.

"Their King" by Grady Salas Hecht, age 9-3/4

Last week was the Fisherman's Festival Art Contest.  Grady entered an amazing watercolor and had his heart set on winning.  It was not to be.  He did end up as a finalist out of 38 entries and I'm just so proud of him.  It was an emotional defeat to my little man, but a really good teaching moment about hard word, perseverance and pushing forward with his art.  We took him out Friday night to get this piece of art professionally framed to hang in our home.  I can't wait to display it and give it a place of honor in our living room.

These glasses have been a great source of humor with our family this week

The days of January have been good to Grady.

• Basketball practice & games (they are winning!)
• Birthday parties and trips to the beach.
• Father-son dates to the bowling alley.  The park.  Honeymoon frozen yogurt.  The car wash.  Yes, the car wash.  Steve let him roll down the window and stick his head out.  He thought it was the coolest thing ever.
• G's been reading what I like to call comfort books.  BFG by Roald Dahl, poetry by Shel Silverstein, Calvin & Hobbes and Harry Potter.
• He's working on a future art show with Scott Vancleemput wherein he will interpret Scott's photography into watercolor paintings.  He's gathered the images and will begin lessons in earnest next week with his teacher.

Returning our Gifts from the Sea at Doran Beach

The beach called our name today and we answered it.  With all the purging and organizing I've been doing, I rounded up a few jars of rocks, sea glass and the like and decided it was time to return it to Mother Nature.  There's something so magical about going to the beach.  Time kind of stops and you can sit, stare at the horizon and think.  Or not.  We hadn't been since New Year's Day and it was warm and gorgeous.  G quickly shed his boots & sock and rolled up his pants.  He played pickle with the ocean and tried to outrun the crashing tides.  The waves were huge today and our treasures quickly found their way back to their rightful home.

Peace Out + Mom

On the way back to our car G told me "Mom, going to the beach is WAY better than playing video games."  

Yes, yes it is.

Let. It. Go.

Doran Beach on New Year's Day

It's a fresh start.
A clean slate.
A chance to reinvent myself, my home, my habits.

It's also a process.
Not an event.
(Remember this, Tammi!)

The beauty of Valley Ford

The new year symbolizes renewal to me, but also rest.  Our household was hit hard with illness at the end of the year and it has taken us through the first 10 days of this new year.  It's actually been a really, really good thing.  Besides the fact that it's no fun having a severe cold, it's given me the chance to take care of myself with plenty of bed rest, no alcohol, plenty of fluids and a lot of time for reflection and brainstorming.

I usually pick a word for the year and let that be a gentle reminder of my intentions.  Last year, the word was moderation.  The year before that it was balance.  The year before that, Be Present.  I had a hard time picking a word this year and changed it a few times.  I finally landed on a small phrase - Let. It. Go.

Yes, those three little words would guide me and I wasted no time in working on my intention to Let. It. Go. around my house.  Since I was already housebound by illness, I used my energy spurts in between naps to start cleaning and clearing clutter from the laundry room, my desk and the hutch in my living room.  I have been editing my cookbook collection and dusting the top of the dryer.  I'm culling my magazines and returning random items to their rightful places throughout our home.  Many, many lists are being made and lots of comfort cooking has been happening in my cozy kitchen.

I do this every year and every year I absolutely love it.  It's like something has been caged up inside me and the first 10 days of January are like an exorcism.  Not of the Linda Blair variety, but I do get a little high from the constant purging and organizing.  It's a Virgo's dream come true.

Freshly organized kitchen shelves & freshly baked coffee cake

I couldn't even bring myself to write in this space until I had made a significant dent in my purging project.  In reality, I've only scratched the surface, but it feels so good to nest, stack, clear, donate and think about how to restore order to our home.

G checking in on dear 'ole mom
An amazing cotton candy set view through my bedroom window
Early morning creative fuel

I'm also writing this post without images, which is new for me (they are there now, but not when I drafted this post).  Usually, the images guide my writing - but I'm going to try and work on my writing this year and add random images afterwards from our week.  I will post captions underneath the photos to remind me who is in the photo or why I took it.  I'm hoping this helps me expand my writing and that I will grow from it, instead of the images quietly dictating what I write.  Let. It. Go.   I'm listening.

These quiet January days have helped me finish a few aspects of some volunteer projects I've been working on and once they are complete, I'm ready to Let. It. Go.  Not forever, but I think I'm ready for some type of change with my community service work.  I'm not sure where or what that will be, but I've kind of hit a wall with my work at G's school and our local non-profit fundraiser, Fisherman's Festival.  I'll finish my obligations this year, but I'm ready to give a polite notice that this is the last year for my heavy involvement in those projects.

Field trip to Charles Schulz Museum before my illness took hold.  He's totally in his element there.

My little man turns 10 this year and it feels big.  He feels big.  I am definitely throwing him a 10th birthday party and letting him live it up.  He deserves it and I want to honor what an awesome little human being he is and commemorate this decade he has graced our lives.  I love being a mom and I never thought I would say that.  Motherhood has opened me up and taught me so much over these past 10 years (and I'm still learning).  I want to dig in and really relish this next chapter of his life and my place in it.  He's the only kid we've got.  How very lucky we are.

We booked tickets to fly to Spring training in Arizona.  My mom is beyond thrilled and the guys have plans to see the Dodgers training facility and catch a few games at the Kansas City stadium near my mom's house in Surprise, Arizona.  The guys will be watching baseball and I'll get a little thrifting in with my mom during our March trip.  Win-win.

Bringing a little outside in.
Mid-century score for G's bedroom $10!

Grady's resolutions were sweet this year.  He wants to read all the classics (how cute is that?), go to Australia, go see my mom in Arizona, see the LA Dodgers play the SF Giants, ride his bicycle in the Piccolo (28.78 miles course in Sonoma County) with Steve in October and quit chewing his nails.  Awesome goals for an equally awesome kid.

We quietly celebrated Steve's 49th year on earth with sweet birthday coupons + cherry pie

I'm also ready to Let. It. Go. with some emotional baggage that I've been carrying around about a few members of my community, my father, my marriage, my internal voice that drags me down from time to time.  I'm ready.  I just need to pause, take it in and Let. It. Go.  I can do this.  I absolutely can.

It feels good to put these words out there.
It cements my intentions.
2013 looks promising.
I will Let. It. Go.

Happy New Year!

Doran Beach on New Year's Day 2013