It is oh sooo cold!

Brittany was enthralled with the surfers! They are out early and continue long into the day. It was fun to watch them bobbing among the waves and birds who rested in the water. It was amazing to see them catch a wave and ride it! Nice also to see that 3/4 of the surfers were all over the age of 50! This is something for Wayno to look forward to learning in his free time!!

Father & Daughter

We each took from this weekend so much and we hope to be able to give back to this space as the years move forward. The children are both ready to head back soon! How refreshing to leave the movement of life and sit among the quiet of the rocks and water!

Greetings From Morro Bay

We spent this last weekend at the ocean and fell in love with a small fishing community. In the picture you can see the community overlooking Morro Rock which is an ancient volcano. The Morro Bay community is filled with fishing, bird watching, surfing, and chess playing, and kayaking. The sidewalks are covered with shops carrying local artists’ treasures. The Farmers Market was a bounty of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, breads and crafts from all the local people. It was wonderful to actually talk with those who baked our bread before we ate it that evening. Time moves at a slower pace here and life is not missed but enjoyed. There are no McDonalds or Starbucks on the corner and the people laugh and talk with you as they pour your morning coffee. The man selling taffy stops to explain to you how it is made as you choose from his 60 different flavors. Bry commented as we left his shop that the candy man really seems to enjoy his job! There is a chessboard in the town square that measures 16 ft. square where many gather to play or just watch. Nearby cigars are smoked and a table is surrounded as two play over a smaller version of the same game. Bry was happy to be able to understand as well as to predict upcoming moves. This was a perfect spot to stop and rest after our long walk. We warmed to our coffee as we sat on the dock having lunch while we watched a man bring in the catch of the day for the local restaurant. Amazing once again to see first hand where our food comes from. It is truly a blessing to see this and send the thanks directly. The seagulls flocked around the fishing boat, hoping to receive just a small morsel. We were blessed with many new birds to look up in our book on our return home as this is one of the most popular bird viewing spots on the west coast. We spent our weekend watching birds, surfers, elephant seals, harbor seals, and beautiful people. Brittany's delight as well as surprise in the otters as they swam on their backs while breaking open the clam shells for breakfast was fun to witness! What a joy to experience this with our children!

Our Toes are Cold!

The water was cold to the toes but warm to the heart! We spent a beautiful weekend surrounded by the beauty of the ocean and all its wonders as well as by the local people and all their kindness. Morro Rock is an ancient volcano. She is one of the nine sisters that blessed this western shore. The small fishing community is a beautiful haven. The people had a twinkle in their eyes as noticed by Brittany who has truly fallen in love with this community.

Nestled in the Rocks

What a blessing to leave the movement of life and sit among the quiet of the rocks and water!
Our days were filled with gathering rocks and shells. It is amazing how smooth and beautiful each new find is. The tears in my daughters eyes as she handed me the first of many sand dollars to be found that day was beautiful and endearing. The amazement Bry felt by watching the surf and feeling it once again under his feet after so many years. He started in this world on the east coast and has now traveled to the opposite side. Bry spent time in the shops checking out "boards" and trying to school himself also in the art of kayaking. He dreamed all weekend of all the things he will do here as well as of all the friends and family he wants to share this place with.

A Peaceful Afternoon

The peacefulness of water! Bry as usual found a spot out over the lake while we walked the beach, where he sunned himself and watched as the sailboats slid through the water past him. He is one of the many rock friends I have made within my life and he loves to always climb to the highest points whenever he is among rocks! He is a quiet young man who sees all and always has! Whether it be in the quiet of a Japanese garden or the stadium of a football game, Bry loves to find a high point to sit and observe. He is so tuned into his surroundings because of his watchful eyes and open ears. When he has something to say however, he is wonderful to listen to. He has grown into such a strong and humorous young man. His music lives within him and we spend most days hearing his drumming or his stereo filling our home. His quiet listening ways has gifted him with a way with music. He not only gets the music but can give such wonderful sound back to his surrounding world. To be a student of his has been a wonderful gift these last 17 years! I am thankful to have shared and learned so much from such a wonderful friend.

The Warmth of Sun

The water was cold but the sun was so warming as we spent time out on a beautiful point on a lake outside of town. Sissy spent most of her time by the water's edge. She loved spooning up handfuls of Fools Gold. She was so amazed by its beauty. It was hard for her to keep her feet out of the water. She would wander in and then squeal as she felt the cold water over her toes! She is a soul who loves to sit and watch the water. She does not often desire to go within a body of water but loves to sit and dream by its side. How appropriate for one who is very much a mirror of water! As I look at this photo it lets me see her so clearly. She has grown to reflect the beauty and strength that water has. She is so strong and beautiful. It amazes me how well she has made it through the changes, flowing on and molding her environment to fit her ideas and needs. She has stood by my side and given me such amazing strength and guidance over the years! It is a blessing to have this young woman as a friend, daughter, and mentor.

The Call To Water

This is the pull which has always called the two of us! The water, for those of us who are blessed to be Pisces, can be a never ending yearning. There is something about the water that causes a familiarity within me that cannot be explained. Its presence gives that sigh one often feels when the pieces of life are put together just so! We left the East coast so many years ago to return to our hometown to raise our children in a beautiful setting surrounded by family and friends. It was a blessing to watch them grow and develop in such an environment. When we received this chance to once again return to a coast, the pull for us was so strong! The chance for new experiences was exciting as well as intimidating. The concern for our children was so intense. We were blessed to have friends by our side to help us with this enormous decision. The love and support given to my children by their friends of all ages was beyond words. We are amazed and humbled by the love we were shown through this time. To be leaving the land and fertile grounds of the midwest to venture once again to coastal land is scary. Yet a feeling of "coming home" is nestled within our souls as we again live close to water and all its strengths and beauty. We spent time this weekend out on a beautiful point with the children. A point which made us all smile as we saw it was named McKenzie! To have our dear friend as well as one of my special daughters with us in spirit as we played among the rocks was warming. The energy we received by such an afternoon will keep us going for the next couple of weeks! My love of rocks, combined together with water is all about us in our new environment. We smile often as we think of our many friends who love rocks as we do. We are nestled in the valley, surround by the most beautiful montains. We giggled this weekend by the edge of the water as we imagined sending rocks out to each of our rock friends as blessings! We are truely blessed to have this time to share in this area with each other as well as with our children. We send out thanks to all of you who helped us get to this point in our life!

Fifteen Candles!

And that quickly she turns 15!!! Where did all the time go? She was just arriving and now she is thrilled as she tells me, "Mom, 15 is the beginning of everything!" How do I respond to such excitement as I stand by watching my "baby" grow into a beautiful young lady? Time passes so fast and what was just my baby being held within my arms, is now my 15 year old, running off to yet another social gathering. Homeschooling was a blessing I would never do differently and has given me a chance to know my children in ways I could have never known. I am thankful for the many years we grew togethor. I learned so much from these two as the years passed. I could have never been where I am now without their guidance. What a blessing it is to have had two remarkable beings pass through my life, willing to share so much with me.

Almonds In Bloom

This pic was shared with us from one of our growers. The almonds are coming into full bloom all around us. The children and I are blessed each day on our way home from school as we pass almond orchards on all sides. The beauty is unexplainable! The talk over the table in more homes than just ours I am sure, is the bee flight time for the day. Because we are in the midst of a winter storm, meaning rain for those of us in the valley, the bees do not have much time to spend among the blossoms during the day. This is not good for the almonds so it was a beautiful sight for those involved when the rain dissipated today and the sun broke through the clouds! We warmed to around 65-70 and life was good for all involved! It is such a wonder to have a conversation based around the bees and their time outside the hives. They have always been such an interest to me. These small little beings add so many wonderful things to our world. It is such a blessing to have them all around us.

Giggles

To have the home filled with giggles and whispers! What an amazing gift. This evening's menu was of course filled with my husband's famous pasta dish that used to be passed around the dance studio in Illinois during those long rehearsals!! My husband and I have been blessed over the last several years by many teens joining us in our home in Illinois as well as our new home. It has always been a true delight to spend the evenings sitting and sharing stories and laughter as well as concerns with the friends our children have brought to our table. The insights these young people have are amazing. Learning about each of their dreams as well as their most embarrasing moments in life has been a wonderful experience for us. The evenings often turn to questions about our thoughts and experiences which we enjoy sharing openly with these young friends! It has been fun to see how the dreams and concerns of our youth are the same across the many miles of this beautiful country. May you all be blessed with the time to stop and listen to the youth who are designing our futures!

Bamboo In All Its Beauty

This must be one of my favorite plants! I have always loved the look and smell of bamboo. To find a type that grows as large and as beautiful as this was wonderful for me. The feel and smell of this plant will always be with me, I pray. What a blessing to have it so near!!! We spent the day walking in the different seasons of the Japanese garden which is just a couple miles from our home. The blossoms were everywhere we looked. My son said this evening, as he looked at the 200 pics we took at the garden today, that our snow is the pink petals you see covering the ground as we walked through the gardens. What a beautiful sight it is. Nowthis is a snow I can truely appreciate!

Blossoms Everywhere!

They have begun to show up all around us and I cannot begin to express my excitement!!!! I have been checking daily for the last week to watch the small buds begin their process. This weekend, we drove out to some nearby orchards so that I could check their progress and so that I could share where I spend so much of my time these days. I love the orchards and spend much of my free time driving the roads near us just to see the changes. To see the work that goes into bringing this fruit to our table is beautiful as well as humbling! To watch the trimming, the harvesting, the watering of roots on the mornings when we were below freezing! I love each moment and each new task I see. I love the sounds of the fans on those cold winter mornings when at 4AM, you wake to hear that familiar sound of the fans spreading the warmth from the heaters out across the citrus trees to save the fruit for just a few more weeks! The bees! I have dreamed for years of being a bee keeper and it is beautiful to see these hives lined along side the orchards, filled with bees working so hard. This is a sight I have always loved and now can sit by the road and watch daily. To listen to everybody talk about the timing... the timing of the rain, the timing of the bees, the timing of the cold. Having grown up on a farm, these conversations sound so familiar but with a new twist. To be living in the middle of an area where so much food is produced should not be so different from where I was raised, yet it is all so foreign from what I knew. To buy my produce from the orchard having watched these trees as they were cared for is much different than anything I have experienced outside of our family gardens. There was so much machinery used in the planting and harvesting of the crops I grew up watching. I remember listening in July for the corn to grow so fast thay you could hear it. I worked the bean fields and helped harvest the corn yet it was all so different than what these foods experience as the workers come in to work them. I now wonder how many hands touched this orange before I stopped by the orchard and brought it home to my family. The workers are filling the strawberry fields as well and it is a beautiful sight to see these berries sunning themselves on the side of the road in flats waiting to be bought. This is what my daughter has been waiting for all winter and is so excited to know that the week of her birthday is now the week we will go for our first time to the fields to buy our strawberries! What a blessing. I wish for you all many blessings as well and hope this finds you enjoying the days you are experiencing wherever you may be at this time in your life.

The Children among the Blossoms

The children are blossoming more than I could have imagined. To watch them these last few months has been amazing! They are both finding their strengths and growing. The transitions have not all been easy but they have both come through our new adventure well. They love keeping in touch with their friends.

The Rainy Season Continues

It is amazing how quickly one adapts to changes! When the Rainy Season first began, we were all disgusted by the continual rain. It stands everywhere. The children attend an outdoor campus and this does not stop because of rain so they come home drenched. All of this seemed so unreal just a few short months ago! We now start our day with the questions"Is there rain today?" This is then followed by decisions as to layers of clothing for shedding, hair down or just pulled up. Life goes on as usual. We walk, garden, school, run errands, etc. as the rain comes softly down around us. There is no running from car to door as it is just a normal part of the day to have the rain falling. There are days when you even enjoy it falling against your face as you carry produce to the car or takin the trash to the curb. These are the days of winter for us in our new home. We begin to know what streets will be flooded and we plan new routes as the morning weather is broadcast. We are told we will be excited about the rains after going through our first dry period when we will go months with no rain. I am trying to remind myself to take in the smells and feel of the rain now so that I can remember it during the dry spell. We can truely find wonder and blessings in new surroundings and even in new weather patterns!

A beautiful winter day at the Japanese Garden

Winter-What a new concept this is for us! For somebody who never enjoyed the cold or the snow and ice, this winter is a whole new experience. We had our nights of layering to attend football games in the Fall when we really do have frost as we wake on some mornings. The snow falls all around us in the mountains and we can watch its progress from the valley floor. It is nice to know it is there when we want to play in it. We laughed one morning togethor as I was scraping the windows to my car in just a t-shirt, while recalling winters where it hurt our faces to stand out while we scraped windows. The sun was coming up and the warmth was already heading in. There is green everywhere during winter. I have flowers I planted in the Fall that continue to bloom. The citrus trees all around us are heavy with their fruit and the markets are filled with fresh produce. What a beautiful experience we are having in our new surroundings!