Mission Accomplished

If you live in California and you are in fourth grade, doing a California Mission Report is a rite of passage.  I helped organize G's fourth grade class field trip to the California Mission Museum, which was located on the beautiful grounds of Cline Cellars in Sonoma.

The tour and scavenger hunt were at no cost to the school and we had a picnic lunch in their beautiful gardens.

The kids were rapt with attention and quickly went around the room looking for the mission that they had researched all year long and recently completed building a model of that mission.  The students rang the mission bell, fed the mission donkeys and cruised the grounds burning off their pre-teen energy bursts.

We also went to see the 21st (last) mission built in California, the Mission San Francisco Solano located just off the square in the town of Sonoma.  Our docent was downloading facts as fast as she could, as we were pressed for time at the end of our day.  An outstanding day of California history and I was impressed with the attention span of our gang of 10 year olds.  I learned quite a bit, too.

This week was the last chess class at Tomales Elementary School.  I asked the five chess tournament participants to wear their medals and/or bring their trophies to school for a group photo.  We ended the chess session with chess-inspired sweets & the promise that everyone would play chess over the summer.  I'm so proud of these students and look forward to helping the PTA build permanent chess tables on the school campus next year.

I'm missing my sister quite a bit this week.  She's been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and I worry about her health and my three nieces.  I have got to make a plan to get out to New York for a visit.  Sending you my love, Traci Ann.

Business Cards + Pollock Project

Grady's business card order arrived and he loved all of them.  I ordered a small box from Moo.com, with about a dozen different card covers.  He's been handing them out to friends at school and a few farmers we know.  His occupation is stated as :: Artist.  So cute.

I had the opportunity to work on an end-of-year teacher present with Grady's class this week.  I used an old board that was painted with chalkboard paint and extra house paint I found around the house.  I had done this Pollack project with G's class when they were kindergartners and they loved splattering the paint on this make-shift canvas.  They also were great in deciding what color(s) needed to be added and hid secret messages written in splatters to their unsuspecting teacher, Mr. D.

Bloomfield Farms

Our weekly sojourn to Bloomfield Farms was rewarded with a pop-up, pay-what-you-can farm brunch with guest chef, John Lyle.  We picked our weekly veggie haul and brunched with a few other families before my sinuses kicked in and I sneezed myself all the way home.

I also made an easy strawberry balsamic jam and helped make a double batch of chicken paté with friend and neighbor, Jill.  Having that stash of paté will be great for spur of the moment entertaining, as well as a quick dinner substitute when paired with the fancy Trisquits & cheese.

We were lucky enough to witness the California Amgen Bike Tour come through Valley Ford on Sunday.  We walked down to the end of lane, grabbed a cow bell & cheered on the two leaders and the massive peloton.  It was over in about a minute.

The artichoke harvest has been big this year.  We typically don't cook the chokes, as they are not too meaty and have been on the small side (and filled with bugs & critters!).  I learned a new way to prepare them and that I should cut them in half, remove the choke, slather them with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake them under aluminum foil for about an hour.  They were still on the small side, but tasty.

G as Mr. Demsher

This week was Spirit Week at G's school.

Monday :: Pajama Day
Tuesday :: Twins Day (G and his bestie dressed alike)
Wednesday :: Teacher-Student Switch Day (aka - Dress Like You're a Teacher)
Thursday :: Crazy Day (G wore two different shoes & his shirt backwards.  Crazy, eh?)
Friday :: Wear Orange + Field Trip to Cal Skate with the 4th thru 8th grade classes

The girls are back.  Yes, Jim & Beaula's llamas were moved to the pasture behind our house, where they will "summer" until late fall.  It's such a sight to see these beautiful, quiet, big-eyeballed creatures.  They are such wise, fierce protectors.  Grady loves waking up to them just outside his window.  Actually, so do I.  They give me a scare some mornings when I wake up groggy and half blind without my glasses, but they make me smile and laugh at myself, too.

I've decided to open up my blog to a few friends I've met via instagram.  I just love reading the raw honesty and perusing the amazing imagery on Maggie's blog and I've been quite inspired by Natalie's embroidery on instagram and crafting on her blog, too.  Natalie used to live just a few miles down the road from me in the tiny hamlet of Two Rock Valley and now resides in Kodiak, Alaska.  We never met while she lived here, but I feel like I know her.  It's funny how connecting through social media feels strange and strangely safe.  I've enjoyed sharing my life in pictures with this new medium & words with friends and strangers, who no longer feel like strangers to me.  I feel a connectedness that I just haven't felt with a lot of people as I've gotten older.  I feel like these women and mamas get me and/or accept me.  It's a new feeling, for sure, and I guess it's like a clean slate.  I'm trying it on for size and opening my heart to meet new people, virtually and in person.

This week I was on a mission.  Literally & figuratively.  

I think I have arrived at my destination and it feels good.