August 2013

…has just about gone. It's been a good one, mostly.

On the 3rd, we went to a wedding, a friend of M's from law school, in a lovely home near Glen Ellen. It was a Jewish ceremony, which I quite like. I didn't know anyone really, but made pretty good conversation until the transformer blew and I drank one glass of wine too many. Then it was time to go home. M assures me I did nothing embarrassing but I'm skeptical.

I went to the county fair twice this year, making up for M's lack of attending. So we didn't get our usual romantic ride on the Ferris wheel or photo booth portrait, though the wedding photo booth made up for that. I do love the fried food, up to a point, and seeing all of the livestock looking their best.

I've been in the kitchen a lot. Made some strawberry jam that tasted very good before I canned it, so have high hope. The peach version tastes just OK and will be a sauce. I missed the apricots entirely, unfortunately. I just made a small batch of grape jelly from the purple-y Concord pearls we plucked from a neighbors yard (don't worry, they've put up a board fence that sandwiches the vines between it and a Cyclone fence, so we assume they don't want them). I plan to pick blackberries at the office this Friday and will put them up this Labor Day weekend.

On the 18th, we made our first visit to Weill Hall in the new-ish Green Music Center at Sonoma State. Just five bucks to hear students in a piano program! We got third row seats and had a nice time. It's a gorgeous space and beautiful acoustics, though the seats are hard and the boxes are not well thought-out, in my opinion. They're just railings, so you have to really work to avoid an unwelcome perspective of ladies in shorter skirts.

On the 26th, we rode the motorcycle, my first ride since M's knee replacement, to Samuel P. Taylor Park. Nick's dad Colin was visiting from England and we celebrated his birthday with a picnic potluck. It was a lovely day for a ride and catching up with friends.

I Know, I Know

I know. It's been far too long since I've posted.

I've been a-travelin'. I've been a-stress'ing (a very nice person I worked with quit and so I've been corralling a few of the pieces he left behind). I've also been having fun. I've resolved that since being crabby is emphatically not fun, why should I go there? I know that "keep calm and carry on" slogan the British used during WWII is getting way too much play, but that is a fair summation of my ethos lately. I'm juggling as fast as I can. Does that mean that some of the items I've been flinging into the air have been falling flat? Yes. Others are rolling away. Others are soaring. I hope I've prioritized wisely and/or adequately, and that I'll pick up the ones that need attention before it's too late. I just don't have enough time left on this earth to be negative, quite frankly.

If you're here and reading this, know that I deeply appreciate it. And I probably love you too.

So, I'm picking up the blog ball now and am just going to keep on juggling while I recap the fun.

It was Dad's 80th birthday this year, and he and Ginny very kindly decided to take part of the party to California. They spent a few days here in Santa Rosa over the 4th of July weekend. We picnicked at the French Marin Cheese Factory. We watched fireworks from our driveway, one of the few perks of the neighborhood where we live. Jay came over for a few days. He mowed our lawn; I'm still so grateful for that!

We removed to The Interior and had more fun with the Axtells of Chico and Redding. The official birthday party was held at the Sierra Nevada Brewery.

It was good to be together. I really appreciate Dad and Ginny's trek out to make it happen. I made a Flickr set of the visit.

*****

Last week was OSCON, our big conference in Portland. I always look forward to the event since it means quality family time in a lovely city. And usually good food, too. There was all of that, and a husband as well, since M came up for part of the week, his first visit to PDX. The conference was very taxing, but that was offset by how much there was to enjoy: lunch at Lloyd and Jacque's with Jim, Enid, Michelle, Grayson, and Rowan; delightful meals at Heathman Lodge, Ox (a particularly memorable gustatory event), food truck; tourist-y trips to Powell's City of Books, the Saturday Market, and the Brew Fest; walks across the beautiful bridges and trips on the streetcars and light rail.

With Lloyd and Jacque at the Kennedy School

A walk with work friend Monique to the Pearl District for dinner

M's knee is healing, but it did bother him a bit on the trip. Guess we'll just have to keep at it. Here's the Portland photo set. I didn't take nearly enough snapshots. It was also nice coming back and being reunited with our furry son. I know he had a great time on the coast with Mom and Don, but as Dorothy says, there's no place like home.

I had a conference in good ol' Santa Clara at the end of June, plus the stays in Chico and Portland, so I've stayed in a few more hotels. Have you perused my photo set of Views from Hotel Rooms lately? If not, check it out. I'm up to 117 photos, though some are views from the same trip.

There's more fun coming up, including a wedding and the county fair this weekend. I'll try not to toss the blog ball so far away next time.