pic-nic/n: A pleasant or amusingly carefree experience, an excursion, an outing usually involving food eaten in the open. Welcome to a slice of my life!
Traffic along the mountainous route to the ocean was stalled.... brake, quick turn off, and find another loop. Instead, I surprised Hubby and we picnicked in the redwoods. A table partially in the shade is not perfection on a winter afternoon. We wore layers. Coats of many colors! I even draped a blanket across my legs. brrrrrrrr
The strange round item Hubby is holding is a piece of venison salami. A cousin packed some venison into her luggage and it made its way to us from New York. The photo needed to showcase the salum so that we can share it with the cousins... and say THANK YOU!! Soon I'll journal about the weekend of New York family and the fun we had.
The last time we made it over the hill to the beach, we palled around with our dog-nieces. The two of them are the dearest little things. The girls are the four legged companions to one of my brothers. Their home is on a backroad in the agricultural fields of our coastal valley. This scene is just down the corner from them.... ->
The pups....
The beach was minutes away... oh lucky me!! Picnics & Pets!!
This is the funniest photo.....
Blog trawling and pups appeared on the screen. Looks as if my dog charge is checking out the terriers too...
During the "winter of cleaning" that has been going on in the cottage 'oer here, I've come across some fun mementos. They've got lots to do with love and heartfelt feelings and the showing of emotions.
Valentine's Day. Hearts and notes of love suit this day well....
Stuck back in a closet and refound - this vintage silk covered heart pin cushion. The kind of odd object that I adore finding at an estate sale... ->
This pink vintage candy box ^ was filled with cards, good wishes and notes of love. My family - Hubby, parents, brothers and sisters stuffed this box with goodness of the non-chocolate type for my 50th Birthday. The sweetness inside oozed with emotion.... 100 times more potent than a confection indulgence.
special notes from Hubby & my brother
Two vintage hearts -
A thoughtful note from my niece sent to me upon the eve of her college graduation. So happy that I printed it and stashed it away. Only to be found, and now coveted... never to be misplaced again.
On another night I will sit and share the delight I feel for some recent love notes....
They are ridiculously silly, quirky and one-of-a-kind!! All from my Valentine.
** read more about love, love of home, and love of garden at My Romantic Home!
It shines - through fog for some - and brilliantly for others. Wishing that the SUN. ME. ANYTHING.
Can bring you warmth and envelope you.
* * *
I'm no longer a part of her daily dialogue. The weeks and months of this new life have catapulted into years. And still she lingers.. hovering between two lives. Her new friends are strange(ers) to me. The mix of them able to find camaraderie in their sameness. She resides in homes that are like foreign lands.
Sweet friend - you are stronger than ever. Still pressing on. Even when you probably should not be! Your family with that same fate - EVER HOPEFUL! In my estimation they must be holding by a thread. Thread as thin as embroidery floss.
Rosary bead contraband. Those three words - made me smile. Made no sense. Made us laugh. You uttered them on a very late night phone call. At least there is still humor.
I wish for much more than humor.... for YOU, more than anything!
That word I jokingly chose for the New Year was sticktoitiveness. A non-word actually. Here is where I talked about it ~ and loads of food! Well, yes, in some scenarios I've been diligent...
Spring cleaning while it is still winter, over at my house. I showed you my bedroom changes. The particularly petite hall closet was in my sights as the next project. Holy proclamation!! I did stick-to-it! The closet got a make-over. It was bad in there, people! Could not have stuffed one more coat in the door {forgot to take a before shot}.
I will preface these photos with a wishful thought ~ I do ADORE the early stages shots, where there's next to nothing inside the closet. But FYI - that doesn't work here in 800-square-foot-cottage land! She's now all organized, albeit still filled to the brim, 'cause it's the only space I've got!
EMPTY and bare ->
Looks a sloppy, wet mess here .. but I papered the inside walls with pages of an old gardening book.
Chalkboard painted the inside of the door ->
Partially filled with storage containers and a board that has pockets to stash our mail, bills, etc. Wish it could've stayed in this state...
the rolls standing are contact paper for the shelves
There was wasted space on the upper wall, and if I elevated the 3-bin storage baskets, I could then use space at the ground.... so darn it anyway - had to"junk it all up" and put in a table first ->
more baskets, the iron fits on the table, slightly-used objects high above on a second shelf...
Some baskets hold toiletries for travel, other bins have electronic doo-dads, while other receptacles house papers; sewing essentials and light bulbs. Boy, do we have alot of stuff!! We surely do NOT live like my husband's Great-Grandparents that built this home in 1940!!
That's all she wrote - not a whole lot more can be said or shown of a silly, tiny hall closet! Still, I'm glad that it's done - now movin' on to the second bedroom. Home of anything-you-never-wanted-to-look-at !
Ya know the part in the vintage Christmas animation of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, the boisterous character of Yukon Cornelius puts his mining pick into the ice, sticks his tongue out, and with a slight "tttthhh" sound - he exclaims: "tttthhhttthhh NOTHIN'"??! do you remember?...
That's precisely what I've got for a blog post today.... ttthhhtthh NOTHIN'... much. Some little stuff here and there ~
Clear Lake, CA
Girlfriends enjoyed a getaway at this lovely place ^ . Laughter is good medicine.
A local team {and favorite of mine} the San Francisco 49ers played and ultimately lost the Super Bowl..... there's always next year.
Your City shines brightly with or without a trophy stating you're #1. You ARE number ONE!
Winter keeps hold. Yet, Punxsutawny Phil says spring is coming round the bend. My garden and I relish this thought. Bleak times in the backyard.... still found time to play with the camera and found beauty on a rainy day ~
My work pleasure is continued and currently underway for the newest event on Goat Hill {vintage} Fair's Spring show. Lots to be done. Fun ideas in my head, many new contacts being made - as well as keeping current with our old friends at www.goathillfair.com.
See? isn't this such a mish-mash of topics? this is what goes on in my head on a daily basis! :-)
I've hit the TV hard for all awards shows. The red-carpet is such fun. And I give it my all to see the movies nominated for those type awards. Cannot seem to talk myself into paying and sitting with eyes clenched shut for Django Unchained. Though I have found Quentin Tarantino talented in his unabashedly unmerciful use of violence... a little goes a long way!
Argo had me on the edge of my seat. Flight was sad and brutally honest about one man's struggle with alcohol. Silver Linings Playbook - filled with great actors - was tormented in an easy to watch way. Looking at Bradley Cooper makes it very easy to watch! So pleased to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in the mix. I was delighted and transported when I saw this nearly a year ago. Quite an experience. Makes me long for sun, color, warmth & travel just playing it back in my mind...
Adore Dame Judy ^. Cannot get enough of Maggie Smith either!! Is she everywhere? or is it just me... I recently saw her in the new film "Quartet".. and to be honest - I've been watching more television than just award shows. HURRAY that I've decided to join the world and become a bonafide Downton Abbey junkie!! Maggie and crew are superb. This is one area of my grossly disorganized topic conglomeration that Yukon Cornelius would NOT say...
ttthhhhttthh - Nothing! Yukon would say gold was struck with Downton!!
Will anyone find this tantalizing reading?? doubtful... yet, I decided that there's enough garden content to be considered within boundaries to share over at Romantic Home. I'm a rebel like that! Yukon would like me! hhaaa
