Storm Watch :: Take 1, 2 & 3

On the heels of Thanksgiving, I just couldn't stop thinking about pie.  Yes, that pie auction did me in and my friends convinced me that I could just do a cheater version and not lament about homemade crust and the like.  I just finished Beth Howard's book Making Piece :: A memoir of love, loss & pie  and thought I'd give it a go.  One of my cans of cherries was bad, so it was a very small pie - but good nonetheless.  

We're bracing for three big storm systems that are due to come in mid-week, so I took the opportunity to pick the boy up from school and have a little fun.  Fun for him was a haircut & a trip to his favorite library in Rohnert Park.  He took off running for the children's literature section and quickly amassed 29 books that he just had to check out.  He finally reached 365 books read for the year and he isn't slowing down.

As we awaited the storms, I took to cooking & baking in my cozy kitchen.  It felt good to be prepared for the storm, with plenty of food in the fridge, books from the library & movies on deck.  I really settled in and wasn't in a hurry to do much.

We watched the clouds roll in, then the rains came down and finally the howling wind.  We were storm watchers on deck and received the early morning call canceling school on Friday!  What luck for all of us.  We had some local flooding and that, coupled with a full moon & high tides, was the magic combination for a school cancellation.  Is there anything better than an unplanned free day?  While G finished his homework, I tended to our household chores and we all stayed in our pajamas for as long we as could.

The storms here are great, as long as the power stays on & our propane tank is full.  I love the slower pace and the hunkering down.  It feels like we have a legitimate excuse to be slackers.

As the days went by and we were holed up inside, life still was going on outside.  No flooding at our house, but I received many calls from friends in Bodega Bay inquiring about the road conditions on Highway One (just south of our house).  It reminded me how very much I love being part of this small network of towns and communities.  Everyone looking out for one another.

And while it took a lot to get me out of my pajamas, I'm glad we had Steve's holiday party to nudge us out the door.  We were expecting the third storm late Saturday night, but we braved it and went to Healdsburg for a little dinner & socializing with adults.  Bishop watched G for the night and they had a Star Wars movie marathon and a sleepover.  

As Grady is approaching non-believing Santa Claus status, I found a way to help extend the magic of the season and it's all about the Advent Calendar.  I figured once he no longer believes, he can still have 24 days of surprises to look forward to.  I think this is a great way to focus on the little things about this season that I so love.  All of the "surprises" are things that don't cost anything.  The focus being time with one of his parents (or both) and/or a little xmas elving.

Steve and Grady were on Johns Street storm watch and helped clear culverts & diverted water on our lane.  They got good and muddy and Grady even added a shovel to his xmas list from Santa.  How cute is that?  The guys spent all morning in bed reading & working on their computers, too.  I love the above pictures of the both of them.  Like father, like son.

Day 2 of Advent found Grady less than enthused by my little notes.  He seemed disappointed that Day 2 was "a giant bubble bath."  Steve took him aside and explained how hard I had worked on creating something special for him to enjoy each day of this month.  That was all it took - a little pep talk from dear 'ole dad and G turned his attitude around and enjoyed the gigantic bubble bath that awaited him.  He told me how much he liked it when I washed his hair and apologized for his behavior.  Oh, he melts my heart.

After a night of ferocious high winds and rain (and no power), we awoke to blue skies & sunshine.  Grady has his first basketball game against St. Rose and they were victorious with a 22-7 win.  We rewarded ourselves by attending the annual Valley Ford Volunteer Fire Department Crab Feed and eating as much crab as humanly possible.  

This storm was good for my soul.  Lots of time to think, reflect, putter & create.  We decided to hold off on decorating for the holidays and I think that will help the mental state of our home.  Sometimes all the chaos of the season just sends our little family over the edge.  It's not that we won't get into the spirit, but I think the visual clutter & quiet expectations over what we should be doing is going to take a backseat for a week or so.  Every year we vow to take it down a notch, not overindulge in things and spend more time focusing on what really matters - family, shared meals & friends.  I feel like we're off to a good, mellow start this year.

The storms are past us now and I feel recharged and ready to take on December.  G just informed us he made Principal's Honor Roll and will have an award ceremony later this week at school.  He got straight A's and we are so proud of him.  He also has an upcoming musical performance and the much anticipated annual PTA holiday bazaar.

We will take it slow.
We will savor these moments.
We know they will go so very, very fast.

Pie + Turkey = Oh, My!

I am thankful I live in a town that hosted its first annual Pie Auction.  Oh, yes.  It was awesome.  The Valley Ford Young Farmers Association put on quite a community bash last week and it is sure to be a yearly event.  It has been well established that I love me an auction and "winning" auction items, ahem, I mean bidding & buying items at an auction.  Well, this was no exception.  The old schoolhouse was decorated to the nines with cute, country kitsch.  The farmers were decked out in their best cowboy chic attire & the auctioneer was a hoot.  I left with three pies & a one year membership/subscription to our local U-pick veggie stand, Bloomfield Farms.  It was the best way to buy pies for Thanksgiving.

1.  Quinoa Salad w/ Fall Fruit
2. G's pancake flipping lesson
3. Charlie's homemade lemon meringue pie

Food has been a focal point over the last few weeks.  Crab season opened up and we had it two nights in a row!  There is nothing better than the first crab of the season.  When paired with sparkling wine, friends, laughter, stories & topped off with a little sweet finish...nirvana.

The art of correspondence is a constant lesson for the boy.  I think it's so important to be thankful and show appreciation for other's efforts and gifts.  We spent a quiet Sunday morning ticking thank you notes off of Grady's to-do list and adorned the envelopes with stamps and stickers.  A little something extra to make the recipient smile.  And since this month's focus is on being thankful, it was a great conversation starter about why we send the notes in the first place.

We spent Thanksgiving Eve prepping for the big day, playing cards, getting the table set and making the world-famous secret cranberries.

Color and inspiration were all around me this week.  I thrifted some vintage linens, foraged for herbs, persimmons & blood oranges (a surprise find!).  There is so much beauty just outside our door and I needed the reminder to stay grounded during this crazy time of year.  Keep it simple.  And I did just that.

Our guest list was small this year, but out planned menu was fit for a King!  We all pitched in and helped to create a meal to remember.

Steve brined the turkey this year and it was the moistest turkey we've ever had.  We must do that again next year.  Scott gave Grady a mashed potato tutorial and gained a fan for his whipped potato method.

Scott & Jill brought over the most beautifully presented appetizers and Eric K. shared Petaluma Creamery's delicious ice creams with us.  And let us not forget the pies.  Oh, Patty O. gifted us a homemade cherry pie that was the favorite of the evening.

As usual, G was the only kid.  He spent time up in his tree, helped with set-up and cleared the table.  He got dressed up in his favorite shirt of the moment and asked me to take the shot of him above on the picket fence.  He kind of loves himself right now and can't stop looking in the mirror any chance he can get.

And while I tried to get a family photo that wasn't blurry, I clearly did not succeed.  It's the best I could do and I feel lucky I convinced the guys to stop for a moment, pause and join me.

The gusto I had preparing for Thanksgiving left me late that night and I was ready to hunker down, do a little crafting, read and enjoy the long stretch of days in front of me.  We filled the time with movies, books & housework.

Melancholy set in with me for my siblings & parents this weekend, as holidays seem to do.  As I fill up my social calendar and work hard to create traditions and holiday cheer for Grady & Steve, I am often left feeling empty about it all.  And so, I am going to try and make a concerted effort to focus on experiences this coming month and not on things.  I will do, as Yoda says, there is no try.

This weekend was also the Mathers' tree-trimming party.  It is one of my favorite nights of the year.

We trim the tree with hundreds of white seashells, lovingly searched for and turned into ornaments by Suzann and her daughter years ago.  Her tree looks like it should be in a magazine by the end of the night and I love that she lets us go to town on it!

Grady had a little playmate named Lucas, who is four years old.  He was so enamored with Grady and was his little shadow all night.  He was funny and sweet and reminded me a little of Grady.

The weekend ended uneventfully, as each of us retreated to our corners of the property.  Steve in his shop finishing a piece of furniture for our living room; Grady in his studio listening to books on tape and creating origami masterpieces; and I read an entire book and enjoyed the quiet meditation of laundry, dishes and the occasional nap.

All is quiet and peaceful after the holiday weekend on Johns Street.  

I am thankful for pie.

I am thankful for friends.

I am thankful for my son.

I am thankful for nature.

I am thankful for family.

I am thankful for this life.

Red (for Love) State Visit

Voting at the Bodega Bay Grange

Well, the election came and went.  I voted and a few measures passed that I cared about and, well, a few didn't.  President Obama & Senator Feinstein are still in office - whew.  Our local Measure C passed and our schools will reap the benefits for another eight years!  I'm so very glad this election is over and all that goes with in terms of the media coverage (and I don't even have t.v. and it was too much!).  Steve reported out from the comfort of his leather man chair the results and I just kept sipping my martini and hoped for the best.  The day after the election, I felt a little drained and relieved and happy to move FORWARD.

One of our neighborhood llamas, Ollallieberry, passed away.  She was 23 years old and we got to visit with her just days before she died.  What a big-eyed, beautiful creature.  Grady was able to get close enough to pet her and tell her very pretty she was.  While visiting with Ollallie, G found a rat skull and owl pellets and quickly came home and busted out his microscope.  He found larvae in the pellets and totally grossed out his mother.  Mission accomplished, I do suppose.

G played hookie from school one day last week and we hopped a shuttle bus to the airport and got on a plane headed for Phoenix, Arizona.  The boy packed like he was never coming home by stuffing his backpack with books, art supplies, Legos, baseball and glove, journals & his favorite writing utensils.  It was bursting at the seams and his little back had to carry quite a load.

Grady was so nervous to fly and had so much anticipation at the thought of seeing his Grandma Gigi.  He was almost in tears as we readied to take off from Oakland.  As soon as we landed, he hightailed it to baggage claim and eagerly awaited our personal pick-up from the lady he loves so very much.

We hit the mall twice, yes, twice in less than 48 hours.  When in Rome, when in Rome, as the saying goes.  G stocked up at the Lego store and we embarrassed him by dressing up in the JC Penney women's department.  Welcome to my childhood, Grady.

Cousin Love

My mom put together a family shin-dig on Saturday and several of my aunts and cousins came to eat, drink & be silly.

Aunts Glenda, Cheryl, Me, Phyllis & Mom

It was so nice to catch up with everyone and introduce Grady to his extended family.  He can't wait to go back.

And while the desert was not what he thought it would look like, he took in the scrub brush, cotton fields and the occasional cactus siting.

Happy Grandma Photo?
The elusive cactus of Surprise, AZ

Our final stop was to see my Grandma Mary (Great Grandma Bounds to Grady) and have a quick lunch at her home.  G played basketball with his cousins and loved on her sweet dog, Meta.

Valley Ford sunsrise

There is nothing like going on a fun trip and then returning to our cozy abode.  The sky welcomed us back as we awoke from our slumber on Tuesday morning.  We shuffled around the house and got back into the morning groove of packing school lunch and cooking a warm breakfast to help soften the chilly morning that was just outside our door.  Our trip was so needed and overdue, but being home?  There's no place like home, as Dorothy would say.

Salas Kids circa 1979

This trip conjured up a lot of childhood memories for me and made me miss my siblings something fierce.  I have such fondness for our summer sojourns to South Phoenix.  We played in irrigation ditches, played hide in seek in the citrus orchards, went to the weeknight rodeo with my grandpa and danced with my aunts and cousins to the tunes of Hank Williams, George Strait and Conway Twitty.  My grandma would bathe us, feed us the best roast and biscuits and share candy with us just before bed (but only if you were one of her favorites!).

And while I've made my home here in this tiny town in Northern California and have carved out a different life for my little man, I know that home will always be where my mother is.  A mother's love is a powerful thing.

And a grandmother's love?  Forget about it!

Halloween & Baseball

Commander Fox & Martha Stewart's Bloody Cupcakes (sans sugar glass shards - damn that Martha)

Grady was Commander Fox from Star Wars :: The Clone Wars.  Who?  Yeah, I know.  Or, rather, I don't know.  It doesn't really matter because he loved his thrifted costume and I loved how much it made him happy.  

I helped out with his class party and the kids ate cupcakes, candy, popcorn, carrots and chocolate milk. They also decorated vampire eggs with colored sharpies.  So easy and fun.  It rained during their Halloween parade through town, but the kids could have cared less.  They were all about the candy and strutting their stuff.

Halloween evening turned into a downpour, but we braved it in Tomales (we...being Steve) and the boy was able to trick-or-treat with his best friend, Calvin.  

Our altar was more decoration this year and we did little to discuss our loved ones who have passed on.  I hope to change this next year and share more about Grady's ancestors' lives.  We'll see.

The mush ball Steve and Grady worked on was found at school!  G came home so proud and relieved that the search was over.  SL worked on this handmade mush ball for hours and we were all a little deflated when is had gone missing.  Slowly, but surely, baseball is inching its way into Grady's life.  It's all the rage at school recess and he's hounding his father every afternoon to play.

I hosted the Babylonian Book Club at my house last week and we discussed Laura Ingalls Wilder, her books, legacy and all things calico...and then some.

I love our town.  Seriously, a pie auction?  Yes, this is the greatest place to live.

It stormed mid-week and the grasses have started to come alive and spread a little color on our property and the surrounding hills.  It's like magic and I look forward to many good storms and power outages this winter.

Nose in a book on his walk up the lane
Petaluma Library Entryway
G selecting books

G is eating books for breakfast, lunch & dinner.  He's on book #346 for this calendar year and not slowing down.  We made our inaugural visit to the Petaluma Branch of the Sonoma County Library system and were not disappointed.

Ka-pow!  Here's Grady's 4th grade school photo.  He selected the outfit & background.  Pretty wild, eh?  I love saving these school photos.  Blackmail photos = Power.

Saturday found us driving to Isabella's first triathlon at McNear's Beach in China Camp.

This girl is so strong and ambitious.  She is undeterred and focused.  I love her drive and determination.  I'm so proud to be in her life and be her God-mama.  I look forward to being at all of her important events and cheering her on.  She is an inspiration!

G reading to Livia on the back deck
A November Jenner sunset

G had a friend from school come over on Sunday.  She was too cute, all in hot pink and wearing a bra (yes, a bra!), but willing to climb trees, play baseball, Legos, video games and hang in the art studio.

The week was full of tradition, celebration, rituals and firsts.  We cracked open November and I'm looking forward to all of the fun, frivolity and feasts that this month has to offer.