A Sunday in our Beach Town

You'd think we went away for the whole weekend by the way we spent our afternoon on Sunday. 5 hours felt like a glorious vacation. The time was full of sustenance - nourishment not only provided by a delicious meal but by family & appreciating life.It was the combination of the change of scenery and the permission to not work on our home projects that allowed us to enjoy this day.

It was being able to appreciate the beach town we live in - in all its Autumn grayness with the crisp air snapping at your exposed ears amidst crashing waves - sometimes it's that simple.

The end of this 'vacation' was spent watching "Paris Je T'aime". Eighteen vignettes one after the other that expressed varying degrees of love & all its possibilities.

A great way to end the weekend and start a wonderful new week.

Slice of heaven

I haven't posted in weeks. We have been enjoying our summer with windows wide-opened, sun-kissed shoulders and quiet evenings. The days are slow & full - almost endless. The first part of the summer was spent with random thoughts & last-minute decisions. This mid-point has us back on a schedule but with great amounts of free time which we're appreciative of.
The day this picture was taken, Kaitlin was reading (pre-HP 7), Breana was bouncing about, Dan was jumping on the trampoline and I was preserving pieces of our garden.

Ah, summer!

While it's not officially summer (Summer Solstice is next week), the girls being out of school is summer enough for me!
We're having lunches outdoors, windows are open, room fans are on and our days are, for the most part, free.
Our garden does not disappoint, thanks to Dan.


Now we're just patiently waiting for the peaches!

Slices of life

The title of the Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony concert was quite appropriate for this weekend, "A Galaxy of Talent". On one side of the hill, Breana participated in a City Wide Track Meet with over a hundred strong young athletes and on the other side of the hill, Kaitlin performed in a concert displaying over a hundred talented musicians/singers.
Both sets ready to perform to the best of their ability.

Breana & I were fortunate to be able to attend both. I took Breana 45 minutes north of where we live early in the morning while Dan was able to squeeze in a goal for his soccer team before taking Kaitlin to her morning call-time 20 minutes south of where we live.

After Breana's event (200 meter) we were able to get home in time to change, pick Dan up, and make it to Kaitlin's concert. I love it when things work out that way.

<-- Breana: long jump

---------------------------------> Kaitlin: self-portrait while camping.

I love witnessing the awesome effects of combined talent, dedication & passion from the youth around us. I'm constantly reassured that my girls are in a good place in their lives and that they are surrounded by good-hearted peers that share their joy & desire to thrive.

It's a comfort knowing that.

It's also a comfort knowing that amidst the juggling of schedules and commitments, we have a beautiful haven at home where we can get off that conveyor belt and stay still...

...or not...

Breana tried to skateboard past Dan to avoid being roped into helping him plant herbs into a pot. Kaitlin played it safe by being on the computer looking for a graduation dress.

This weekend Dan opted to keep moving. His priority list on his days off work is admirable. His family is very important to him and the maintance that he can do himself on our vehicles is always on the top of his list.Providing us with our slice of heaven is another.

Happy Easter!

From our slice of heaven...

Slice of Heaven

Our 'Forever Giving Orange Tree'. When we first moved into our home Easter 2002 we had freshly squeezed orange juice every morning and orange slices every day - yum! The fruit is juicy & sweet. After the weeks of frost and the temperatures dipping down to the 20's and not peaking higher than the 40's, the oranges don't look pretty but boy are they incredibly delicious. We have a fruit picker so that the girls don't have to climb the tree (like that stops them.) The picker, to me, is real violent as it grabs the fruit with the leaves & twigs around it. It does its job but should be called 'the fruit snatcher'! Whenever you're in the neighborhood, come on by - the 'fruit snatcher' is on the side of the house, be sure to pick the ripe fruit and watch out for our guard cat!

Now you have to watch out for Tiger (Tiger-boy, Tigger, Tigger-Tiger doesn't matter, you pick). He lurks and he pounces. You may find him napping in various places around the yard (on top of the Jacuzzi, under the trampoline, in the bushes, on top of the studio, etc...) but he knows you're there and he's watching your every move!

In a corner of the garden on your way to the Greenhouse in our own little slice of heaven.