Poetry, Valentine's Day & Rain on the Brain

The rains are finally here.  I usually dread the torrential rains of December/January, but this year they did not come.  The farmers all around us need rain and if I'd buy the rain barrels I know I need....those would need rain too.  Well, this week the rains and winds arrived and everyone was happy to see it.

We have been preparing for Valentine's Day for a few weeks by creating and making cards for G's classmates.  He loves to cut images from magazines and save them.   He carefully selected the image that he wanted to bestow on each classmate and teacher, glued the image, wrote each child's name and his on the card and then I asked him why or what he wanted to say to each person and I jotted down his comments.  Very sweet and I think I enjoyed it just as much as he did.

My mom came over during the week (after completion of our homemade cards) and had four boxes of Valentine's cards.  I told her we make ours and she insisted we take a box and/or donate the rest to the school.  Most of them were logo cards (Disney, cartoon characters, etc.) and I am not a fan of any of that.  However, she did have a box with animals on it - so I said he could keep that box.  Mind you, I didn't read the text on the cards.  Grady immediately sat down and started writing cards to neighbors, the post office ladies, the young man that works at the Valley Ford Market, some of our friends, etc.  Here's a few examples:  "I'm Glad God made us friends" and "Jesus thinks you're special", along with sad little pictures of animals.   Okay, not so funny to most people - but being married to an atheist and my sad attempts at organized religion and newfound freedom with the label "agnostic"....this was very funny to us.  G didn't know what the cards said, but was delighted with the imagery and I think everyone else enjoyed his sweet sentiment nonetheless.

So much happened this week.  Here are the highlights:

• Making sweet treats with Grady for Valentine's Day
• Date Night with my husband in Petaluma at Graziano's & Graffiti
• Numerous rainbow sitings
• Grand Opening of Mermaid Treasures (Isabella & Sophia's storefront at River's End)
• Watching Grady read his poem at Open Mic Night in Tomales 
• Birthday Party & Play Dates
• Bodega Bay Fireworks fundraising underway 
• Buying fire bowl (?) for our yard & all the fixings for s'mores
• Watching Nim's Island with Grady (PG movie, so he had to watch with us and LOVED it)
• Dancing up a storm at VFH while Arann Harris strummed & sang all of G's favorite songs
• Preparing for visit from David Silpa...all the way from Paris!  

We attended the Tomales Open Mic Night and Grady was going to read his poem "Home" to the crowd.  He signed up to go first, sat down and patiently waited.  No fear for this guy.  He got up on stage and delivered a sweet reading and I was so proud of him.  The West Marin paper was there and asked him if they could publish his poem, along with his picture.  He agreed and I'm posting the poem and his imagery of our home, as colored by the little man himself.

I'm jotting a few lines Grady used on me at bedtime this weekend:

Mom, you're sweeter than a rose.

Mom, you're sweeter than juice.

Mom, I love you too much.

Mom, I love you more than Valentines and all the hearts in the world.

I am so lucky.

Birthday Party, Chinese New Year & Local Eateries

Quite a celebratory week here on the range.  We celebrated my step-dad's birthday this week at our house and Grady helped me make the Hecht Family Kahlua Kake.  I've been making this cake for approximately 10 years and it's always a hit (thanks to Jan's perfected recipe).  You can have your cake and alcohol all rolled into one delicious dessert!

Chinese New Year was last week and I was geared up all this week to head to San Francisco to enjoy the sites and smells of China Town with Grady.  He'd been fighting something all week and developed quite a headache, cough and fever - so we had to nix the plan.  I did head to an asian market in Cotati and, as you can imagine, it was not quite the same thing.  We did discover that Steve was born the year of the dragon, Grady was the year of the sheep and I was the year of the dog.  Grady didn't actually want to go to the city because "he loves his home too much".  He started lobbying earlier in the week for us to stay home because "home was like his blanket".  After he uttered these words, I quickly wrote them down.  I told him those words would make a beautiful poem.  Every morning thereafter I asked him what home meant to him and he told me a few things.  And I wrote them down.  At the end of the week we had an amazing, compilation of words and thoughts about home.  It really showed his feelings about what we've created for him and how strong he feels about home and himself.  Here it is...

Home is like my blanket.

Home is sweetness.

and no harm.

Home is nice.

and dry and warm.

Home is beautiful.

and colorful.

Home is for snuggling up.

and happiness.

I feel like a home that walks.

We have found a new babysitter and Grady was elated (and smitten) that she was watching him Friday night.  Hannah is her name and she is already booked for next Friday night.  My mom usually helps us out, but her work schedule has changed and it's going to be nice to have someone else in a pinch.  We actually had a Friday night date and went to our former shop (Gourmet au Bay) and then to have an intimate diner at Terrapin Creek in Bodega Bay.  This used to be the Seaweed Cafe and the new owners are fantastic.  The food was so good and the dessert was incredible.  They sent us home with cookies for Grady and I can't wait to go back.  We have just a few restaurants in Bodega Bay and this is such a nice, fresh surprise of a place.

We also had the pleasure of dining with Bert Rangel & Family at Nick's Cove Saturday afternoon.  G stayed home with my brother and we drove down to Marshall for a lovely afternoon with Bert's family and his parents.  It could not have been a more perfect day.  It was warm out and no wind, as we walked off the lunch on their private pier.  I was reminded, again, that February is my favorite month of the year on the coast.  It's always super green, with a sea of mustard growing in the surrounding fields and clear days (with rainfall usually happening at night).  

We're getting ready for Valentine's Day this coming weekend and Grady has been preparing homemade cards for his classmates and teachers.  He's also started reading a bit more this week and identifying words on boxes of food, magazines and books.  He's cautious about it and seems a little skittish to declare that he can, in fact, read.  However, he's definitely turning a corner in that regard.

Another lovely week in Valley Ford and on the coast.  I couldn't ask for anything more.

Cowboys, Cornell Box & Hotly Debated Clothesline

This picture is of Cowboy Grady and his new hat.  A good friend of ours, Eric K., came over Friday night for dinner and instead of bringing flowers...he brought a felt cowboy hat for our little man.  Grady has outgrown three cowboy hats and was so pleased when he opened the box.  I just found a little western snap shirt at a consignment store in Petaluma and we got him boots for his preschool graduation, so I think he's set.  Oh, Eric also gave him a bolo tie.  The look is now complete.  Watch out Valley Ford ranchers!

This week we worked on creating a Joseph Cornell box with the all of the found objects G has collected over the past year and a half.  He studied this artist in preschool and we took him to the exhibit at MOMA in San Francisco last year.  He really loves collecting random things (what kid doesn't?) and this is a great way to utilize the "stuff" collecting in his room and honor his vision of their beauty.  He remembers where every little item came from and had a lot to say regarding its placement.

Another beautiful Monday at the beach.  We saw harbor seals, birds, collected golf balls (we always find at least one), sticks, beach glass and smooth river rocks.  The above photo is from a series of photos of G jumping off of that log.  This one seemed like the happiest.

We went to the Valley Ford Hotel a few times last week to see Mr. December and, separately, Arann Harris perform.  Two of our favorite performers.  Grady has been on a music kick this week and sang for over two minutes "I had a bad day!" at the top of his lungs on our back porch, while standing on a table.  The video was too big to add to the blog, but it was so stinking funny and cute.  He would just keep repeating the same line for two minutes, with toe-tapping, country accent and all.  Great blackmail material for his wedding day.

I worked at Pastures Preschool on Friday and it is always like walking into another world.  The children are so unique and expressive.  Stacy (the director) has been studying the poet Langston Hughes with the children and they wrote a collaborative poem (ages 2 - 5 years old).  Here it is:

After Langston

I had a dream of dinosaurs made out of buckets

A dream that lasts all day long... underground

One night to start, one night to finish

We dream about eating TOO many marshmallows, twirling costumes, pretty pierced ears, miner's lettuce, chocolate, all kinds of candy and bones all night long

One night to start, one night to finish

It's nice to know that if you expose your children to art, music, writers, animals, nature - you will get so much back from them.  It's nice to see the path that Stacy takes the children on at the preschool.  What an amazing foundation to build upon.  The school has really helped me with becoming a better parent to my little guy.  We stopped letting him watch t.v. on school days and let him watch a movie or two on the weekend.  It has changed our lives for the better.  I feel like I know my kid so much better and he doesn't hound me for anything that would be in a commercial (McDonald's, toys, etc.).  We feel free of the media onslaught that is directed at children and he is really using his imagination to create his own world and not what someone is trying to sell us.  Okay, I'm off my soapbox now.  It was just a huge shift in our household for the better and I highly recommend it.

Here's a poem Grady and I worked on after getting the inspiration from the little ones at Pastures:

I love January mornings

Crunchy, sparkling grass underneath my boots spread like glitter

Distant sounds of owls calling (whooooo, whoooo, whoooo)

Seeing my breath as we laugh and run

Frozen disc of water in the bird bath and I want to make it melt

Warm, toasty, yummy waffles

I love January mornings

Steve and Grady installed a clothesline for me on the front deck.  We had a lot of debate over where to place it and optimal sun times, etc.  When I got home Sunday and saw them working on the project, Grady said "Dad is trying to make you happy".  I am happy.  

Historic Week on Many Levels

Inauguration Day was a bevy of activities for us.  We were asked to attend a small breakfast soiree at the Santa Rosa Country Club by our friend and former 5th District Supervisor, Eric Koenigshofer, wherein we watched the inauguration and applauded, cried tears of joy and toasted President Obama & Vice-President Biden.  I can't seem to recall ever being so relieved and happy to see a President leave office and such an awareness by the country for the new one taking office.  

We taped the inauguration so that we could watch it later with Grady, as he was so excited the night of the election results.  He was glued to the t.v. and I hope he remembers this day, along with the rest of the nation.  The above photo is from the night we went to an "Inaugural Ball" at the home of our friends in Bodega, Charlie & Patty.  Grady did not attend, but that didn't stop him from playing dress-up while channeling a Chippendale dancer?

All of the Pollock-inspired paintings I've been working on with G's school are now hanging at the Tomales Bakery and they look beautiful against the yellow tin walls.  Three sold on the first day and we're hoping to raise close to $1,000 for the school PTA.

We had the pleasure of going back to G's preschool this week to help out for a few hours.  One of the teachers was in a really bad car accident and we asked to help in any way we could.  G was so excited to be a "teacher" for the day.  He brought a book to read to the class and kept saying the cutest things about being an example for the little ones and he got to climb his favorite tree.  When he started kindergarten he got a time out for doing something on the playground he wasn't supposed to.  He came home and told me that his new kindergarten wasn't as "daring" as his preschool.  His first lesson in new school, new rules.  

After his first "teaching" day, Steve took his training wheels off of his bike and he learned to ride without them.  He was so proud.  We don't have a lot of pavement for him to ride on, but he just pushed on in the gravel and dirt and did a great job.  Later in the week, he sat camped out by our driveway waiting for over an hour for his dad to come home, so that they could practice more of his riding skills.  

We love going to the beach.  The above photo is of Grady and his friend, Iain, up on a rock at Doran Beach.  After a day of frolicking in the sand, we went to the Open Mic Night at the Tomales Town Hall.  Grady had wanted to perform with a few instruments and a friend, but he got too nervous.  It was a very eclectic group and I enjoyed seeing the community come together and support the array of artists it had under one roof.  Rap, folk, new age, rock, etc.  At events like this, I reflect on the choice of leaving suburbia and moving to a small town.  I'm always reminded that it was the absolute best choice for us to uproot our lives and move north and wouldn't trade it for any strip mall in the world.  The absence of fast food chains, a Walmart or Costco and an abundance of nature, animals and stretches of beach are the things a childhood should be made of.  

The round out the week, we headed to Cambria to meet up with Scott & Kacy.  We left G with our friends Scott & Jill and my brother/mother.  We have such a great network of friends, family and neighbors.  As Hillary Clinton once said...it takes a village.  We belong to an amazing village.

Heatwave, Pollock & My Weed Garden

The week started out with a nice January heat wave.  Santa Rosa was 84 degrees on Monday and the coast was gorgeous.  We called the Rangel girls and went up to our "Secret Beach" north of Jenner.  I've posted a few pictures below of the amazing afternoon.  We hiked, found beach treasures & had dinner at River's End when it was all over.  Grady was filthy, hungry and tired.  What a way to start off the week.  It was one of the best days I've ever had at the beach and I'm so glad we seized the opportunity, dropped everything and went north on Monday.

I've tossed around the idea of gardening for years.  Usually, when I go to the nursery I buy a few plants, bring them home and then let them die in their containers.  Not this year.  I went to the Mostly Natives and purchased a few native plants in October and put them in the ground.  A novel concept, but I'm hopeful.  When we moved into our home here in Valley Ford with one acre of actual land that was ours, I was so excited.  However, I'm not a gardener.  The previous owners left us with lots of plantings, trees & bulbs that still amaze me when they bloom or pop up out of the ground.  It's from nothing I've done, but I appreciate their hard work.  I do have an asparagus patch and from what I've read, it could produce for up to 25 years (if taken care of).  So this week I went out and started weeding the asparagus patch and a few surrounding beds, and unearthed a circular rock area (pictured below) that would be perfect for a firepit.  I filled our "green" bin with all of my weeds and started planning my Spring garden.  I'm sure it will be a lesson in futility, but I'm going to have to start somewhere.  It seems hopeful to plant a garden and I'm hoping it will be gratifying if and when I can produce a vegetable to eat with my family.  Stay tuned...

I've also been volunteering at Grady's school on behalf of the PTA.  We're doing a fundraising project wherein the kids get to paint a Jackson Pollock-like inspired paintings.  I have a few of these in my home and I just love the fluidity of the house paint used and that the kids create a true work of art that is indivdual and one-of-a-kind.  I was inspired by Grady's preschool teacher and how she could get them to create such beautiful work.  We have just completed the last canvases and we are going to hang them this week at the Tomales Bakery, where they will be for sale and on exhibition for the next few months.

This is a before picture of my garden.  I hope to grow SOMETHING and have an after picture for later posting.  We'll see what happens!

Quotes of the week from Grady:

1.  "Mom, I don't like ear wax.  It tastes sour."

2.  "Good-bye nature, good-bye ocean, good-bye sky, I love you!"

3.  "Mom, I think you look pretty in the morning.  And always. And at night.  I love you too much."

Women's Christmas, Working for the Man & 1964

Every year on the day of the Epiphany (on or around January 6th) our friends throw a Women's Christmas Party and it is a wonderful way to start the new year.  Ginny Bassi & Cathy Tennant are amazing chefs and hostesses and entertain a group of up to 75 women in their home in Bodega Harbour.  It's a fantastic time to chat with your friends and I've met authors, winery owners and eccentric retirees.  The women who host this fete are such seasoned hostesses and always make their guests feel at ease.  The food is amazing and you leave with a beautiful ornament hand-created by them.  Completely spoiled on a Saturday afternoon.  What could be better?

I left this lovely party and headed to Gourmet au Bay to "cover" the shop for approximately four days.  I was a little apprehensive, but after learning the new computer system - I was off and running.  It was great to see familiar faces and get back in the swing of things.  The view from our deck is amazing (we purchased the building in January of 2008).  One of the best spots to have a glass of wine and appreciate the bay.  After my tour of duty, I felt happy to still be a part of Gourmet au Bay - but know that selling was the absolute best thing for us to do.  Frequent visits will satisfy me for now.....and lots of wine.

Steve's 45th birthday was upon us and he wanted to head to Lake Tahoe and introduce Grady to his first snow.  Needless to say, we were all pretty excited.  I think the attached video should say it all.

As I type this blog, I realize that I will include a lot of Grady-isms or Grady firsts.  This week has been quite full....

1.  First visions of snow in Lake Tahoe, along with sledding exhibition in Heavenly;

2.  "Mom, my life is changing.  I don't need to sleep with any stuffed animal.  I'm changing.";

3.  Ate his first Italian wedding soup and LOVED it.  Major feat for us, as he usually consumes air for dinner;

4.  Gondola-ride in Heavenly...we felt like we were flying.

I'm finishing up Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and believe it or not, we're getting chickens come Spring....all the fresh eggs I can handle!  This book is amazing and really makes you think about the way you shop, ingest, harvest, seek out, appreciate, gift and consume food on a daily basis.  I am going to try and be more mindful of how I purchase and consume food.  Our local markets and farmers need my support.  As a mother, woman, wife and friend, I hope to share in my experiences and reap the benefits of local food enjoyment and pass them on to those who dine at my table.

Resolving & Reminiscing

Well, I haven't written on this blog in over nine months!  However, when I was thinking of resolutions for the new year - I figured resolving to keep up this blog on a weekly basis would be a great way to remember the year and share what's going on in our life with close friends.  The format may be wacky and my grammar not always perfect, but I'm going to jot down my thoughts (mostly so that I can enjoy them later).

I was so glad to see 2008 come to an end (for many reasons).  So much changed for us last year.  A few of the more memorable highlights:

1.  Grady turned 5 and started kindergarten;

2.  We sold Gourmet au Bay & I became a stay-at-home mom;

3.  I ran/walked the Nike Half Marathon w/ my good friend Patty;

4.  We took a real family vacation to Portland;

5.  We celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary;

6.  Our good friends, Scott & Jill, purchased their first home just down the lane from us;

7.  I completed 5 Adventure Boot Camps; and

8.  We hosted Thanksgiving at our house & Christmas Eve dinner w/ friends.

We ended 2008 with a quiet dinner at home with just us.  I love to entertain and in 2007 we did a nice prime rib dinner and then partied (a little too hard) at the Valley Ford Hotel on New Year's Eve.  However, a quiet end to this last year seemed fitting.  We made dinner, played a few games with Grady, watched a marathon viewing session of Mad Men and stayed up until just past midnight.  It was Grady's first ringing in of the New Year by staying up until midnight.  That was fueled by a major banana split earlier in the evening.  All-in-all a wonderful night with my guys.

To start the year off right, I enlisted Jill & Stephanie to go to a 4-hour yoga/hike workshop in Bodega.  It sounded intense, but I just knew I would be happy to start the year off this way.  The weather was gorgeous and it felt great to work out and spend quality time with such like-minded women.  We grabbed lunch and ate on the deck at Gourmet au Bay and toasted our accomplishment with a bottle of bubbles!  After all, it was New Year's Day.

We're only a few days into the new year, but I always enjoy the opportunity to take a moment to reflect, make small resolutions and set goals for the coming year.  I'm hoping this blog will help me to remember all of the wonderful moments of 2009 and beyond.  Happy New Year!

Equinox & Easter

Grady's preschool always likes to party, so this week was no exception.  The Spring Equinox party was on Thursday and I asked my friend Katy to join me.  We helped plant lettuces and strawberry plants in the garden.  They ate edible flowers alongside their breakfast of homemade muffins.  Everything Stacy (his teacher) does has beauty and style.  The kids had their faces painted and Scott Vancleemput took pictures of all of the activities.  Katy mentioned that she didn't know a school like this existed in Bodega.  It's the best-kept secret and I'm so glad we found it when we did (almost 3-1/2 years ago!).

The shop (Gourmet au Bay) was extremely busy on Friday and Saturday night.  It kicked my butt!  Spring break is in full swing and I guess that makes people want to drink copious amounts of wine....?  In any event, the shop is doing well.  We've made a few improvements and after six long years, Steve has finally fixed my front door from slamming EVERY SINGLE TIME THE DOOR SHUTS!!!!  Miracles can happen.

I was so exhausted Saturday night when I got home, but we had to paint eggs...or whatever you want to call what we did to the eggs.  We stamped them, put stickers on them (dogs, of course), used markers, real paint, etc.  Grady loved it and that's all that really mattered, but they were a sad lot of eggs.

We celebrated Easter on Sunday with my mom and John, as well as Scott & Jill.  Grady found his eggs accidentally.  He didn't really know the hunt was on until he sat on a hard-boiled egg outside on his little chair.  He then went to fill his watering can to water the plants and found another.  He gasped every single time he found an egg and was so excited by each discovery.  He ate smarties and said that if he ate one every day, it would help him get smarter.  Nice try little one.  He also loved his dog easter basket and the chocolate Cadbury eggs (mom's favorite).  It was so warm out that we put out the fancy plastic pool and he had a swimming good time.

On Monday I received word that a friend's son died and Grady heard me on the phone and asked about it.  I then had to explain the circle of life to him right on the spot.  I did pretty well, as he has a very healthy understanding about death due to his time spent at Pastures Preschool on the farm there.  He also has been through a pet death and understands that things are born and then they die.  I was a little nervous about the enormity of his question but, as usual, he took it in stride and didn't make a bigger deal out of it.  It's amazing when you're direct with a kid how it truly satisfies them.  I like the direct, truthful approach to parenting.  It seems like you don't have to have do-overs and the constant re-explaining of yourself because of what you said in jest.  Just plain easier for me.  I used to think Steve and I were on different parenting ends of the spectrum when Grady was born.  However, the older he gets - the more we agree with how we're raising him.  It feels like we're finally on the same page...hey, it only took five years.

San Francisco, Mom's Birthday, Beach & Grady's Teacher

Well, what a week! We attended the Chambers & Chambers wine event at the Presidio in San Francisco on Monday. I've never attended, but it is a beautiful, elegant and amazing winery participation event. We joined Shona & Brandon from the Valley Ford Hotel and Bert Rangel from the River's End. We ended up dining at Le Colonial for a wonderful vietnamese feast. I always forget how much fun I have in San Francisco. It's only an hour away, but so many varied things to do and see.

It was a pretty quiet week. I took Grady to the beach to look for beach glass and "dinosaur bones". We have the best time at the beach. We build dams, look for shells and glass, meet lots of random dogs. Grady pretends he's a K-9 companion dog and has me whistle for him. I like to indulge him, obviously.

I had a great tasting at the wine bar this week with Mick Unti. He's one of my favorite winery owners and always has such delicious, rhone varietals to try....and he's really cute. No harm in that, right? To commemorate the end of my boot camp (one month of intense, early morning workouts), I joined Patty at the Valley Ford Hotel and had a great dinner. Living out here feels so good due to the friends and relationships we've created over the last six years. At times, it can feel too small - but most of the time it feels like home. There's no place like home, as Dorothy would say. Scott and Jill are moving forward on buying the house down the street from us and I'm just crossing my fingers that all goes well for them and it closes on time.

My mom's birthday was on Saturday and I actually took the day off. I made her breakfast and we lunched at River's End with Grady and her husband. The views were amazing that day. It was really windy, but the ocean looked 5 different shades of blue/green. We're so glad that she's here to share in Grady's life and hope that it has improved her quality of life as well. She used to live in Phoenix and has been here almost two years. Grady calls her "Gigi" and they are partners in crime every Saturday together.

On Sunday we went to the beach again for a negative low tide with the Matthews' family. We found lots of glass and ran into lots of people we knew. Again, really windy - but great to spend time with friends and picnic at our local beach. People wonder why I never want to leave town....I never have to because there's so much to do and enjoy here. Seriously, I'm not trying to sound like a Hallmark greeting card but I LOVE it here and never want to leave.

Sunday afternoon we entertained Grady's teacher, Stacy, and her husband, Wylie. We had a lovely afternoon and tried to cook using local ingredients and drinking local wines (and, eventually, whiskey). We ended the night with a serenade by Wylie (from the band Stiff Dead Cat) with a little song about dogs for Grady. It was a magical evening and Grady told me he "loved" Stacy, but that he still had enough "love" for me too. That's good to know.

Boot Camp, Memorial, Kindergarten & 100 Mile Dinner

I started off the week at my exercise Boot Camp in Sebastopol on Monday morning at 5:30 a.m. It is unreal that I actually get up at 4:30 and head out the door by 5 a.m. in the morning, but I've been doing it! It's not easy, but I am completely energized and on a high when I finish. I get a lot done in the mornings now and I'm going to try and incorporate an early morning sunrise into my daily routine from now on. I have one more week left, so wish me luck.

I went to walk on Dillon Beach on Tuesday morning with Steve & Grady. It was beautiful, clear and just a little windy. There were a lot of shells and the tide was way out. Grady and Steve played in the water and used their walking sticks to write the alphabet in the sand. I can't believe I've never walked that beach before. It's so close and hardly anyone there on a weekday. After the beach we came home and got ready for our trip to Sacramento. Hugh Flournoy's celebration of his life was held at the USC Capital Center and we were invited guests. It was a beautiful ceremony and I learned a lot more about Hugh and got to meet a few of his friends that I'd heard so much about. I haven't been to Sacramento since I was nine years old and took a field trip with my fourth grade class. We flew on a plane and spent the day in the Capitol. I'm not too sure I would let Grady do the same without me, but my mom must have known how responsible I was as a child and trusted my teachers...

Our friends, Jill & Scott, have an accepted offer on a house at the end of our street. We are so excited for them and cannot wait to have them as neighbors. They start inspections and all of the other fun stuff you do when purchasing a house. Grady thinks it will be "so cool mom".

We had an appointment to visit the Bodega Bay Elementary School on Thursday morning to look into kindergarten for Mr. Grady. It is a sweet school in a great location, if we continue to work in Bodega Bay. There are approx. five kindergartners enrolled and he would be in a K-1-2 classroom with appprox. 15 children. It's a long day (8:30 - 2:50 pm), but I just know he's ready for it. We're also checking out Tomales Kindergarten and Harmony/Salmon Creek School later this month. Living in Valley Ford puts us about seven miles away from each school and they all seem very different in terms of structure and school philosophy. I'm sure we can't go wrong with any of the choices, but we're new parents and just need to check it all out beforehand.

I held book club at my house last week and the book we read was called "Plenty" and it was about a couple that ate only what was grown within 100 miles from their house for an entire year. I went out Thursday to shop for my own 100-mile dinner and it was not as easy as you might think. Berries, avocados, asparagus, potatoes, apples, etc. were all from either Mexico, Chile or Washington. Bread was a bit of a challenge, considering no one could tell me where the wheat source came from. In the end, it really made me think about how I shop and that shopping locally is so important - but still a challenge. The average meal travels 2,500 miles to your plate. That is astonishing to me. Therefore, I've vowed to seek out and/or research more local farms this year and only purchase dairy products that are within a 100 mile radius. This book was really inspiring and I think anyone can do better in this arena...given the inspiration and statistics to the contrary.

Today the time sprung forward and it was a gorgeous day! Everything is blooming (daffodils, cherry blossoms on the neighboring trees, calendula, the grasses are so green and tall). After me and Grady went to brunch at the Valley Ford Hotel, we headed towards Tomales for Straus organic ice cream cones and a walk to Mostly Natives Nursery. Grady helped the staff water some plants and we selected strawberry plants, lettuces and a sticky monkey plant - don't ask. We came home and put on our gloves and started weeding a bed in the back of the house. I soon realized that the job was too big for me and Hecht got the weedwacker going and helped put a dent in the weeds. My goal is to utilize one bed for planting a test garden this Spring. I am not an avid gardener, but I aspire to be. We'll see how it works out this year.

We ate local greens tonight from Farmer George with the prettiest edible flowers and seared ahi tuna. I asked Steve where the tuna came from and he said "Indonesia"....so much for my 100-mile dinner tonight! I can only try to do better tomorrow.

January/February 2008

January 2008 - where did this month go? I always look forward to January because it's a great time to catch up. Scott & Kacy spent the last week of December with us and we rung in the new year together. The kids had a blast and we did a lot of laughing, as usual. They headed home and a big storm headed our way. Most of the coast was without power for about four days, however, we had power in Valley Ford. We hosted many of our friends for dinner, lunch, coffee until the power came back on late Saturday night/Sunday morning.

When the power returned, I spent the first Sunday afternoon of the new year with Hugh Flournoy. Hugh was a dear friend of mine and long-time customer. We did our usual banter and mild flirting, discussed who he was going to vote for in the coming election, his kids and grandkids, his service in the Korean War and his aversion to seat belts. He was chartering a private plane to spend the afternoon with his dear friends, Betty Lou & Roger, in San Diego. He was nervous about the plane flight due to the turbulent weather and storms we'd been having. His caregiver Nelson was going with him. We said out goodbyes and I teased him that he better wear his seat belt on the plane. Houston Flournoy passed away after his lunch with his friends on the flight back to Santa Rosa on January 7, 2008. He will be forever in my thoughts and memories.

Steve had his 44th birthday, which always gets overshadowed because of Christmas, New Year's etc. We're usually on burn-out mode after the New Year and we spent a quiet night with Bert & Steph at Bistro de Copain in Occidental. Jill D. had her 40th birthday celebration at our house. Steve went to Reno with David Silpa and weathered a pretty big snow storm. Kacy & Alex flew down and met me in San Francisco for the gift show and a little fun. January also held another trip to Glass Beach to meet the Rangels for an afternoon of seaglass gathering!






February 2008 - Superbowl. Willie Nelson concert. Mammogram....God I'm getting old. Amgen Bike Tour through Bodega Bay. Bluebellies at Valley Ford Hotel. Well, February was another action-packed month. I kept Grady home from preschool a little more this month, so that we could spend more time together. We went to the Exploratorium in San Francisco and he LOVED it. There was a very sweet Valentine's Day party at his preschool and they had a Chinese new year's celebration. We're getting ready to check out kindergartens next month and it makes me more than a little sad. He's such a well-adjusted, happy, imaginative little boy and he's more than ready for kindergarten. We entertained on Sundays this month with friends we haven't seen for some time and it feels good to catch up.

The pastures around us are just gorgeous. I took Roblar Road the other day and told Grady it was a "short cut" to Cotati. He said it felt more like a "long cut". Out of the mouths of babes. The mustard is blooming everywhere and there is a sea of yellow as far as you can see from our house. The daffodils are in full bloom and I'm toying with the idea of trying a test garden in our backyard. I'm not a green thumb, so we'll see how it goes.

I'll work harder on updating this every Sunday night. Mainly, this is just a way for me to keep track of where all the time goes with Grady and our family. I hope others enjoy the updates and get a glimpse into our lives. Below is a small video of Grady's interpretation of Valentine's Day...

December 2007 - Part 2

December 2007 - Part 1

The first few weeks of December were full of activities and parties...

Isabella's 6th birthday party
Visit with Santa at the Bodega Bay Christmas Party
Joseph Cornell Exhibit at SF Museum of Modern Art
Visit Linda Mahley at their new condo in San Francisco
Attend Mahley annual Christmas party
Our kitchen is getting re-drywalled and painted (because there wasn't enough going on this month!)
Year-end meeting with our accountant in San Jose
Dinner w/ prospective buyers for Gourmet au Bay
Attend dinner party for Scott Vancleemput's birthday
Bodega Elementary Book Fair
Bourbon dinner at Valley Ford Hotel
Paint dead fish to give as Christmas presents - very fun, but messy
Book Club at Katy's House!

This was all the first two weeks of December....