It's a sweet day.

 Buckingham Palace, a year ago this week

 
Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet girl.  What would I do or be without you ?  You bring out the best (and sometimes the worst! haha!) in me and you help me to see and know who I am.  And, you have a way of getting me to do that damndest things...like driving out into the middle of the most deserted and/or far-flung places I've ever seen to visit hometowns of famous folk singers, or driving scary, winding, edge-hugging roads to obscure desert towns where mama donkeys put their heads in my lap through the car window, or traveling across the world (in winter for crying out loud) to towns so far north they never warm up, or riding roller coasters over and over even when I'm so tired I can hardly walk another step.  Btw, thanks for the laryngitis today!  Is it time for cupcakes?  Cuz I'm ready...

Happy, happy day! I love you!
xoxo, Mommy

In a Lavender House

As I promised:

 The front porch where I would devour books and cookies and drink cups and cups of tea. There's even a porch swing!

The south-facing side porch where I would sit on winter mornings, listening to the birds, and saying hello to the neighbors walking by with their dogs. In summer, I would sit here in the evenings because the front porch faces west and this side of the house would be much cooler then.  Iced tea would be in order...blueberry iced-tea, I think...

More of the side porch, the beautiful white chimney, and the greenhouse window over what I imagine would be my kitchen sink.  The barely visible low roof to the far right is a lavender single-car garage, built extra long for storage, or maybe studio space.  Sometimes in these neighborhoods, garages are a luxury because so many of the lots have been split to add another residence, and the garages have disappeared or been incorporated into the 2nd building (as you can tell by all the vehicles that are parked along the streets.)  Not so for my little lavender house; its garage appears to be original to the house.  I've thought of everything...

I cannot stop thinking about this darling house.  I do believe my blue eyes have gone more than a bit green.

Have a lovely Sunday!

xo, D.

The dead of winter... really?

 

 We were warned of high winds inland and high surf along the coast yesterday...uh, looks pretty flat to me...

Ok, a little rougher when the waves crest...but still...not what I would call high...and we here have all seen it high...

 Pretty, though...

 He's tired of the...

 ...traffic.

 Kind of a tight squeeze by the jetty when everyone wants a piece of the wave...    

Supposedly all this wind and surf was happening yesterday but I, myself, didn't see any high surf while I was there, and the wind was calm out here in the foothills. I guess it's all gonna "happen" again this weekend and into the beginning of next week.  I'll believe it when I see it.  But, in the meantime, it was oh-so-nice to feel and smell the ocean air, and I was able to make a much needed stop at the Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Market co-op. 
 

 

 

 (Both photos from People's website)

It's SO nice when the veggies  and everything else are organic and priced so affordably.  The cafe is always great to visit, too, for a yummy veggie lunch =-)  Ocean, soft air, good company, and veggies = happy Debby.

I'm gonna take pictures of the lavender house tomorrow! =-)

Have a fantastic weekend! 

XO, D.

I'm pretty darned excited!  I just got off the phone from talking with my Amazing Cousin with the magical carpentry and building skills and it looks like I am going to be getting, in my NY kitchen that he is remodeling for me, a real live un-chipped-and-in-mint-condition vintage one of these (or similar to this one, anyway...it does have the all-important drain board, which is what I am mainly after.)  It's perfect for the age and style of my house.   I have been lusting after these for years, and now it looks like all that drooling over magazine and innernet photos has paid off =-) I have one word for this news: WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So... I'm thinkin' I need an airplane ticket...cuz I wanna seeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =-)  I mean, I really don't think I can stand it until June...seriously, right?!?!???

Ahhhh, Saturday. And, I just found the most wonderful blogs...

"All that I desire in my life...first I must uncover it..then I must bring it into my life....and I can, I will, I must." A quote from Suz at Begin Again and A Garden Wench.  I just HAD to share!  I got lost over at Begin Again for a long time today, just reading Suz's musings and poetry.  Sometimes a person's writing just grabs me and holds me, and hers definitely does.  Do go over and visit!


Went to my second drawing class today.  As I noted in my journal this afternoon: it's HARD.  But I know that it's hard because it's worthwhile.  My left brain is in a bitter, petulant struggle with my right brain.  It is tenacious and not going to give up control easily.  But I am determined.  The result will be worth the struggle.  I have nothing to show as far as photos.  We are still in the blind contour and semi-blind contour phase, and just touched on negative space.  We did the Face Vase exercise today...again, HARD, especially because the teacher wanted it exACT.  But I am pleased to say that I am happy with my efforts.  I am better at all this than I would have thought and actually was pleasantly surprised.  The only problem is a standard one for me at any kind of workshop or class, whatever the subject:  I am SO SLOW, and always the last to finish.  But, oh, well, right?!

The best part of drawing class today?  I parked across the street from the most gloriously lavender (!) and white Craftsman.  I found myself smiling from ear to ear as I walked past.  And it's on a corner lot so I got to see a lot more of it than if it weren't.  I was looking forward to walking by it, and studying the lace curtained windows and the kitchen window filled with all kinds of crystals, and maybe even getting a peek inside one of those windows or an open door (80 degrees here today) as I walked by, all the way back to my car after class.  I will take a picture of it next week if I remember because you ALL need to see a beautiful lavender house.  I would SO live in this gem. (I KNOW, huh?!?) And, OH, the flowers I would have in its flowerbeds.  And the comfy chairs I would have on its porches.  And, OH, the tea I would drink while sitting in those chairs as I read the most engrossing books.  Yes. In a lavender house!

Ok, things are looking up...

The breadmaker came today, the Xmas tree is out the door, the decorations are all packed away, the Xmas cupboard is re-organized, my cleaning lady comes in the morning, and the washer is being delivered tomorrow between 11 and 3.

Now, I'm ready for my ice cream =-)

PS:  Gee, I really cannot get into Brad Womack as the Bachelor again; he was not my favorite even when he was on before.  I was hoping for a real cutie pie this season... =-/

I'm tryin' to stay positive in the new year, but come ON... =-/

Wellll, I was going to show you pictures of my new refridge cuz it's really groovy and shiny and clean and purty and I was pretty excited about it...well, as excited as I could be having had to replace the old one the week or two before Christmas...But, oh boy, guess what...NOW I have to replace the washer since it died day before yesterday...with a load of clothes in it, of course...is there any other way to actually KNOW that it died? No, there isn't.  I just bought the new one, it will be here Tuesday...so no laundry till then (and probably no groceries for awhile, gee whiz!)...and the excitment of the sort-of-too-expensive fridge has lost its glow, now that I had to spend sort-of-too-much for the washer, too...The dryer still works, and we're keeping it until it doesn't, or at least until I can feel better about buying one to match.  All this is not sitting too well with me right now.  Especially since, as other NYers can verify, one of the 3 (!!!!!!) yearly tax bills for the NY house came recently. 

I tell ya...I think I need some chocolate or something...probably more something than anything...

Finished and worn already =-)  It was simple to make, and is nice and soft and warm and cozy, just what I was after. I used one of the $$$$ wool and silk skeins that I had in the cupboard.  I'm going to a snowy place soon for 3 days and I wanted something to go with my black coat and sweaters that was comfy.  This is definitely that.

We went to San Diego's opening of the national touring Broadway production of West Side Story last night.  It was fun.  It was West Side Story:  gangs dancing (original Jerome Robbins choreography) and singing and snapping their fingers...always a little cheesy (well, it IS, ...but we know that and love it anyway), always Romeo and Juliet, always poignant...and lots of fun.  The dancing and music were great,  the subtle additions of authenticity adding layers to the Arthur Laurents story and the Bernstein/Sondheim score.  It was a sweet gift from friends to DH and his brother for their birthdays, and we DWs got to come along.  To top it all off, for dessert (actually, for beer, not dessert), we went to watch DS and the country/folk band he plays bass in perform at a local pub! Dinner, theatre, and watching DS...a very nice night out.  

Happy Wednesday.

xo, D.

10-20-17 - 1-4-05

I'm still following the map, Mom.  This is the hardest day of every year.  I love you.

2011, Day 2

It's raining again.  I don't care.  I've been puttering around this weekend, mostly reading, doing a little knitting, a little crochet (pics of that in a couple of days).  And I've been busy on the innernets =-)  Spending a gift card and spending a little on myself.  With the gift card I'm getting this:

And I bought myself one of these (cuz my old one just doesn't do it any more, and I neeeeeeeeed that smell, especially if it's going to rain):

So.  Now.  That's done.  Back to my book.  And tea.  And next week, BREAD.

Let's get this party started!!  Happy New Year, everyone!! xoxo