The Big Four-Oh!

I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to go to Boot Camp this morning.  Yes, I know, crazy.  When I signed up I knew my birthday would happen during the four week torture session, but I signed up anyway.  I love to challenge myself and definitely need inspiration and parameters to keep me in check.  That being said, I felt great after my birthday workout and drove home high as a kite.  I found this beautiful ornamental plum tree waiting for me on the deck, along with a handmade card from the husband and boy.  It was such a perfect present and made me realize how much my husband really got me.  A tree.  For our yard.  Planted by my two favorite men.  Yes, happy birthday to me.

I was a little apprehensive about celebrating my big day.  I usually love a party, but finally settled on a trip to Paris with my husband as a way to celebrate my big birthday and our ninth wedding anniversary.  Our friend gave us his apartment in Paris for the week and I used all of our frequent flyer miles to book the trip of a lifetime.

Before all of that could happen, I did have to celebrate my four decades on earth.  I told Steve all I wanted was a cake baked by my guys.  He delivered and then some.  A beautiful two layer, homemade, chocolate cake with coffee cream filling and chocolate ganache frosting.  There were so many candles that Grady thought the fire department might be called.  Fortunately, I'm full of a lot of hot air and managed just fine.  Dinner with family and not having to do the dishes were all I could hope for.

But my friends had other plans...

A surprise party, a slumber party, a book club discussion followed by cake and dancing party...whew.

The Parisian cake just might be my new favorite.  To. Die. For.

I received seven cakes in the four days surrounding my birthday.  That's a new record.

I feel so ready to close out my thirties and look forward to this upcoming decade.  I am ready to embrace whatever life has to offer and I can't wait to see how I grow, what my kid discovers in the next 10 years and where this life takes me and my husband.

Forty is the new thirty, right?  Inspired by my blogging friend, here are 40 things I'm loving right now:

1.  My funky home in the country.
2.  My husband and son.
3.  My newfound confidence in making sauce AND meatballs - thanks to Molly Wizenberg.
4.  Singing California Girls a-la-Beach Boys on the way to school in the morning with Grady.
5.  Growing something, anything from seed.
6.  Rose Wednesdays.
7.  Silver spray paint AND glitter.
8.  A stiff martini at the Valley Ford Hotel.
9.  Hearing my son ask for Tilapia for dinner.
10. Basking in the recent visit from my BFF, Kacy.
11. Stealing away an afternoon to watch 30 Rock on Netflix.
12. Thrifting.
13. The entryway tableau.
14. Plucking apples from our trees.
15. Having a dog snore in my living room.
16. This American Life on NPR.
17. Mary Oliver.
18. The mobile library.
19. Reading each night before I go to bed.
20. Foraging for blackberries.
21. Quick jaunts to the beach.
22. Swapping childcare with other moms, instead of hiring a babysitter.
23. Listening to my son read.
24. Rearranging furniture.
25. Making coffee before the family gets up.
26. Grady's clothing stylings.
27. Seeing 47 dogs line up in my living room, along with feeding bowls & dog tags for each.
28. Setting a table.
29. Cooking for dear friends.
30. Watching the garden die out for the season.
31. Living in a small town.
32. Unearthing my silver slicker boots.
33. Wearing my sexy black heels that tie up on the ankle.
34. Drinking a bottle of Fogdog pinot noir on the deck at Gourmet au Bay on a Friday night.
35. My community.
36. Flip flops.
37. Doing laundry.
38. Watching my little man in the workshop with his dad.
39. Straus Maple Yogurt w/ homemade granola.
40. Myself.

Happy Birthday to me.

BFF Birthday Visit

Sometimes you just need a visit from your very best friend.  You don't realize how much you need it until you are together again.  Catching up.  Reminiscing.  Crying.  Sharing.  Being silly.  All of that.

You eat lunch without kids interrupting you.  You sit for hours and laugh.  You tell old stories again and again - reminding each other of all the fun you have had over the years.  You want to share her with your new favorite friends and hope they love her just as much.  Of course, they do.

Your face eventually hurts from smiling.  You share good wine and food.  You plan the next time you will see each other and put it on the calendar.  You are filled up again.  You are energized.  You are loved in a way that is so very different than the love you receive from your spouse, your child or your blood-relations.

Thank you best friend for making the time to visit me at the end of my 39th year.  You are the best.  I even know what you're thinking now...that's what she said!  Until next time...

Virgin Harvest: Update #6

Foraging has been quite a sport around our house this month.  G completed a hunter-gatherer camp this summer and we have been practicing around our yard, roadside and friends' homes and farms.

We helped Anna from Hand's Full Farm pick 37 pounds of blackberries and then quickly turned it into jam with the help and guidance of my wonderful 80-year old neighbor, Beula.  So much summer goodness in little half pint jars and the color is absolutely gorgeous.

We harvested a few artichokes and steamed for dinner.  Note to self: rinse these really well next time, as dead ants aren't the cutest things to eat when you get down to the heart of the artichoke.

The pink Naked Ladies have bloomed early this year, perhaps because of all the rain we had earlier in the year.  They are such ugly above-ground bulbs, but quickly rise up and bloom into these leafless, fragrant pink blossoms.

Queen Anne's Lace is everywhere and I don't think there is a lovelier weed in all of West Sonoma County.  Valley Ford-Freestone Road is loaded on both sides with this tall, elegant weed.

I am reading this wonderful little book called Settled in the Wild by Susan Hand Shetterly and it inspired me to pick fern fronds and place single stems around the house.  Simple and natural.  They have perfect patterns on the back of their fronds and we have placed paper over them and lightly rubbed crayons over their texture.  Lovely little bits of paper.

I didn't plant any of the items that I'm listing here, as they are mostly volunteers or previously planted by someone else.  However, summer is definitely the time to hunt and gather - whether it's beauty, food or inspiration.

What are you hunting and gathering?

Virgin Harvest: Update #5

Wild blackberries and nasturtiums are growing like crazy around here.  I have been a blackberry picking fool and my sore fingers are evidence of my overzealous pursuit of the fruit.  I'm trying to freeze enough so that I can take a jam-making class with my 80-year old neighbor.  I've been eating my fair share, so we'll see how much ends up in the jars.

This is the first zinnia to bloom.  I started these from seed the first week of April and it took this long to bloom!  Four whole months.  I've lost my fair share to insects and learned a few things along the way.  Next year, I think I'll leave inside another month or so in my garden window to insure that they are strong enough to be transplanted.  I think they are beautiful and wished I had a few dozen more to use for cutting.

This gorgeous specimen is the Naked Lady.  The bulb is so danged ugly and sits above ground.  For most of the year I hate looking at it, but on August 1st it opened up and said hello.  Native and totally self-sufficient.  I can't take credit for them, but do so enjoy seeing them and who doesn't love their name?

Summer surprises.  Since I've been doing this Virgin Garden thing, I've definitely paid more attention to my surroundings.  I've noticed more and felt really awesome for growing something from a tiny seed.

Life is amazing.

Alameda Flea Market :: August

The first Sunday of the month is the Alameda Flea Market.  The key is to get to this flea market early, so a six a.m. wake up call was in order.  Ouch.  I went with my good friend and neighbor and set out on an all day adventure of shopping, talking, eating and driving!  We lasted almost five hours at the market and found plenty of treasures to bring home.

The thing is, you find really bizarre stuff laying around the flea market.  The random things people sell are really great to photograph.  Last time I focused on religious statues, but this time dismembered baby dolls spoke to me.  Take a look... 

::  Crazy eyeless doll heads

::  Armless, as well as naked, ceramic dolls

:: Dental moldings?

:: Jill w/ Dancer & Prancer

I went with the intention of buying vintage letterpress letters and found some of the alphabet I needed.  

I also grabbed this really cool bullseye stamp and set about stamping butcher paper to make my own handmade wrapping paper.  This was really fun.  I taped the butcher paper to Steve's wall and used painter's tape to secure it and then went to town.  Using a roller and printing ink, I stamped the bullseye insignia all over the place.  I think the small rolls of paper will make great gifts, as well as using them for wrapping individual presents.  I am a big fan of plain butcher paper and a sumptuous ribbon, so the stamp will just liven the whole  presentation up a bit.

Here is my attempt at stationary with G's initial.  I used chartreuse card stock from Papersource and various color combinations.  I also stamped kraft hang tags and paint samples.  I love, love, love using paint samples as gift tags or to type a simple note on.  They are beautiful and let us not forget - absolutely FREE.  

After the Flea Market, we hit the Renegade Craft Fair at Ft. Mason in San Francisco.  There was so much to see and we felt a little visually overstimulated after walking the aisles.  I bought a few things and gathered business cards, but was ready to hit the road and find a gigantic, cold martini at Cavallo Point.

Upon leaving, I spied this t-shirt and thought my husband would like it.  Mr. Waits lives in our town, so my husband wouldn't want to be caught wearing said shirt because that would not be cool.  I just loved the tongue-in-cheek graphic and the question we all want to know:  What Would Tom Waits Do?

Pastures: Working for the (Wo)man

After our attendance at the Marine Mammal Center's seal release in Bodega Bay, Grady set out to learn more about the animals that need to be adopted from the MMC.  We got online, read a great deal about their program and he had his sights set on adopting Astro, a steller sea lion.  Only problem was that he needed to earn $30.

With the recent decline in our chicken population (we're down to three!), his egg earning money had dwindled.  I put a post on Facebook and my very kind friends rallied and hired him to perform a few jobs for $10 each.  He was to advertise for our local coffee/ice cream shop and spread the word about their lovely organic ice cream.  He was also going to assist a friend in training her new puppy.  Lastly, he was hired to give a presentation at his former preschool about his fundraising drive and the marine mammals that live at the center.

He gathered all of his information, created a magnetic board with brochures attached and cute pictures.  He printed out information on Astro to share with the kids.  He held a question and answer session with the teachers and little ones.  He was a super star.  When we left the school he said he was "nervous and proud".  Of course you were sweetie.  I was too.

He held up his end of the bargain and we drove down to the MMC in Sausalito.  We were greeted by the awesome volunteers and they showered him with kind words and commended him for his hard work.  He left with a certificate of adoption, a book, a stuffed sea lion & new socks.  He hit the jackpot today and he spent all of his hard-earned money at the MMC, which helps to support the MMC's mission.

G has such a love for animals and I have such an admiration for his tenacity and steadfastness.  As soon as we arrived home, he promptly asked if he could put up a display of all things Marine Mammal Center, with a variety of marine mammals, brochures, books, toys, cards, certificates and artwork created by him.

Good job little man.  You made me such a proud mama.  You are excellent.

Glass Full

On this last day of the month, I wanted to reflect on what a full and wonderful month it has been.  Every little bit has been so very summery, if you will.  So I'm going to do a little list of life's happenings and help myself to remember these special days of summer.

::  Fireworks
::  Road Trip
::  Impromptu Dinner Parties
::  Hunter-Gatherer Camp
::  BBQ's with friends
::  Golf & Tennis Camp
::  Homemade lime curd
::  Farmer's Market
::  Roadside Beauty (Queen Anne's Lace, Wild Dill & Sweet Peas)
::  Hay Fields
::  Netflix marathons
::  Library visits
::  Dandelion fields
::  Tending the garden
::  Birthday Parties
::  Marine Mammal Center Seal Release
::  Visits to Pastures Preschool
::  G's summer jobs
::  Local Art Gallery Exhibits
::  Visits from old friends
::  Rose Wednesdays
::  Picking blackberries!
::  Reading in the garden
::  Playdates that last for hours and hours
::  Homemade popsicles
::  Harvesting garlic from our garden for the first time
::  Swim lessons
::  Booked our trip to Paris!
::  Lazy mornings with coffee & my guys
::  Sleeping in.  Yes, definitely, sleeping in.

The list could go on and on, but I'm feeling nostalgic this morning and lucky to have the life I have.  This blog serves me as a daily (or weekly) kind of meditation.  To capture a moment or two in my life and document it.  It's fine to share, but it's really for me.  To help me stay the course and keep navigating my life in a positive direction.  I had thoughts about discontinuing this blog and keeping things to myself, but that's simply not who I am.  I am an open-book-heart-on-my-sleeve-kind-of-gal and that's not going to change.  This feels good to jot a little something down and use it to remind me of all of the beauty and friendship I have around me.

What is beautiful in your world?

Netflix vs. Library

So if there was a competition between Netflix and the Library in my house (humor me - I'm a wee bit competitive), then the Library would win.  Hands down.  I have a lot of love for the Marin Bookmobile and my favorite librarian, Terry.  She puts my book requests at the top of the queue and delivers them without fail every other Wednesday.  I've learned that because we are in a small, rural town - our requests take precedence over "in town" card-carrying library cardholders and get on that sweet bookmobile headed my way pronto.  What service, huh?

Netflix is also a huge convenience for us, but I've had a hard time finding the time (believe it or not) to even watch movies this summer.  By the time the day's fun is over, dinner, evening rituals with Grady and all of that good stuff - I just don't feel like watching television.  This is a huge departure for me.  When we did away with our cable/satellite in February, I was worried that I would have serious trash t.v. withdrawal.  Turned out that I did miss my Grey's Anatomy and a few other quirky shows, but I barely can find the time to fit in a Netflix movie.  Yes, it's true.

I just read a magazine article that said 1,672 hours of television is what the average American watches each year.  What the heck?  That's disgusting.  What's interesting is that most people tell me we hardly ever watch t.v.  Uh, yeah right.  I don't believe you.  If you have cable and/or satellite, I'm pretty sure you watch more than you think.  I was in that camp and can't believe how much time I wasted watching junk on t.v.  Some of it mindless and a small amount informative.  However, I do read a lot on the computer, but I can't download videos or t.v. shows, due to our lovely slow satellite connection to the internet (another quaint thing about living in the country!) and I've lived to tell the tale.

All in all, I'm so happy we cancelled our satellite.  Life is quieter and a whole lot better for our family.  Grady reads a few hours every day.  The printed word is easily available to him.  His bookshelves are full.  The chair in our kitchen stacks his recent library selections, so it's easy for him to grab what he needs.  We spend afternoons at the library in Sebastopol perusing the shelves and then heading over to the bookstore for more inspiration.

One caveat to all this written word love, if you hear anything new about Dr. McDreamy, please do fill me in.  I'm only human.

Making Hay

I've lived here in Valley Ford for almost four years and somehow the business of making hay escaped me.  The view from my kitchen window is of the Moody Ranch and we've taken family pictures in their massive mustard field, so I should have known they would eventually cut and bale the hay.  I have been watching it for weeks and think it is absolutely beautiful.

Swimming Lessons

Swim lessons were a huge success.  G only attended a few half hour sessions, but it boosted his confidence and he loved jumping in the big pool and making a splash.  The Bodega Elementary School PTA helps fund this wonderful program for the children in this area and the instructor, Sandy Horn, has been leading this charge for years.  She is tireless and so great with the little ones.  

G said that this has been the best part of Summer so far.

Marine Mammal Center Seal Release

We were invited to the Marine Mammal Center's Seal Release at Scotty's Beach in Bodega Bay.  There were eight sea lions released and it was such a great sight to see.  It inspired Grady to come home, get online and find a seal to adopt.  He has his eye on Astro and he is going to get a few jobs and earn the $30 it will take to set the adoption in motion.

Summer Sleeping In

The guys went out of town for a few days and that meant I could catch up on my reading, sleeping, movie-watching, gardening and projects left previously undone.  It is so rare that I get to spend 24 hours straight all to myself and I thoroughly enjoyed my four days of solitude.    

Virgin Harvest: Update #4

Secret Agent Boy

Secret Codes are being created and lots of notes are being typed up around here.  Top Secret.  Shhhhh.

Independence Day

This year's fireworks show was held on July 3rd and it's my fifth year being involved with this event.  It was crystal clear, slightly windy and the show was 18-1/2 minutes of absolute bliss!  The Press Democrat Online wrote a small article about the show and you can read about that here.

I'm always so exhausted after this show.  My friends rallied and helped with the security, as well as clean up the next day.  It definitely does take a village.  Ours is awesome.