And the Adventure Continues

 This week I decided to continue the adventure to California on Monday. Next week we will return to a Flower and a Poem.

Early in this third day I visited the graves of my mother and grandfather. They lie side by side for eternity in a very old cemetery.  

 On the way to the market to buy food for a noon picnic date we had some time to stop a couple places and I snapped so many pictures I think I will share them another day.

Then it was picnic time with my sister, her husband, two of her sons and one wife. No pictures were taken to share, but it was lovely time in the park of our childhood. At the end of the picnic I made small cups of tea and we shared some cookies given to me by my friend, Ann. It was a perfect way to connect with family and a delight of the day.

After the picnic I just wanted to drive to the coast and enjoy the beautiful day.

 Potter School, where a famous movie was filmed.

Do you recognize it? It was by Alfred Hitchcook, The Bird's, filmed in 1962. It is in the small village of Bodega and of course I had to stop and snap a picture on the way to Bodega Bay. It is privately owned and a family residence now.

Bodega Bay is only about 30 minutes by car from my hometown of Sebastopol. As a little girl I remember my grandfather and uncles would fish here for both surf fish and abalone. What a treat when we had plate full of fresh fish from the sea. It is a gorgeous drive.

It really is just an iconic seaside town and so beautiful.

As my mother got older she often requested having a drive to this area for the day. She delighted in the sea, as I also do.

There is something so soothing in sitting by the sea.

Many boats are anchored here for both the business of fish and for pleasure.

Broken down barns call for me to stop and snap. This one was surrounded by eucalyptus trees and smelled so good.

Driving back to town this Catholic church on the hill called to me to snap a picture. Isn't it beautiful? I could just imagine a beautiful wedding there. Oh that sky! It was one of those gorgeous, blue sky days.

And I would be remiss if I didn't share a snap of an apple tree orchard along the road. As a young girl this was a common sight. Though there still are plenty, many have been pulled out to grow grapes.

In the past this building has housed a flower nursery and antique shop, maybe even a coffee shop. It was sad to see it sitting vacant at the moment. Hoping someone comes and rescues it.

It was a gorgeous day of again remembering my past and soaking in the ambiance.

I find this adventure for me was a time of reminiscing, something good for the soul.

Day Two - The Adventure Continues

 The second day we drove north along Highway 1 and Half Moon Bay. Many years ago, when we lived in San Francisco, we would go here to a candle factory and pumpkins in the fall. The candle factory is gone now, but there were pumpkins growing everywhere. And of course, I love the coast line. Can you see all the surfers in the water? It was a perfect weather day for surfing, but I didn't see many waves to ride.

And over the Golden Gate Bridge we went.

We had a date for tea in my home town of Sebastopol, about an hour north of San Francisco.

I was born in Sebastopol and my relatives all lived here; so I always call it my "hometown". I lived here until the 6th grade and my sister and some cousins still live in the area.

Muir's Tearoom on Main Street is, I believe, the only vegan tearoom in the country. This was my second visit for tea and really you wouldn't know unless someone told you that it was vegan.

We were meeting a friend for teatime. It was a wonderful visit and such a special place to sit and chat the afternoon away.

October was Muir's Black Hat Society, Halloween Tea. See if you can see the touches for celebrating. We started with a Fall salad of greens, pears, and cranberries.

I love when the tower of goodies come to the table. Of course, we had to take pictures.

Hi, my friend, Ann!

The savouries: Autumn vegan cheddar and apple sandwich, mummy puff pastry "sausage" roll, deviled egg-less salad sandwich, cucumber sandwich, and sweet potato slice with avocado.

Pumpkin scone with preserves and "cream".

The sweets: Layered devil's food cake with hazelnut, pumpkin tart, fall fruit.

 

And one more stop on the way to our hotel. This was my grandfather's home when I was growing up. What surprised me most were the big trees in front. When I was a little girl there were no trees there.

This trip was about reminiscing and remembering.

It was a good second day of the adventure in California.

The Adventure Begins

 
Warning! More pictures than I usually post.

Let's begin at the beginning of the adventure. I still had United Airlines credit from a cancelled trip at the beginning of the pandemic and it needed to be used. So my "live-in gardener" and I decided to be tourist in the Bay Area of California. I grew up there; so never thought about visiting as a tourist. However, there were some other reasons too for choosing to visit the first week of October. My 60+1 high school reunion took place on October 1st and though I didn't have a close friend to see in my class I decided I wanted to go. It had been at least 25 year since I had been in San Jose. Oh my, what changes had happened. I needed a GPS just to get around. The first morning we had some time free; so I decided we should visit the Rosicrucian Museum, which I had visited as a young girl. It also had changed, but still wonderful to visit.

We arrived a little early and they hadn't opened yet, but a walk in the garden was lovely. I shared a couple flower pictures on Monday from the garden right there. As you can see from my first picture it was a gorgeous, blue sky day. And then we stepped into the world of Egyptian artifacts.

 The entrance

There is a reproduction tomb, which I remembered from many years ago. It was a must for me to enter there.

I just thought this was beautiful!

The images depict the face of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. I loved the smile on these figures.

In a good-luck ritual similar to carrying the bride over the threshold, small statues of Ishtar - a fertility goddess- were often broken and buried before the doorway of a newly married couple's household.

Another beauty was present!

The designs on this limestone cross include floral or solar symbols at the center and blend ancient motifs with Christian iconography. Imagery like this held meaning for many groups during the Coptic Period, a time of religious diversity.

The Alchemist's workshop, reproduced.

A private space for both practical and spiritual work.

Storage jars.

A beautiful quilt.
 

Well I needed to get one guy in here too.

Loved the pottery.

And finally the coffin and mummy inside of Tahure.

Tahure was the "Lady of the House" and about 28 years when she died.

I took a picture of the mummy, but then decided I didn't want to show it.

As a young girl, when I visited this museum, I was fascinated by the mummies.

I only found this one mummy on this visit. I think that was OK with me.

 

Overall, I loved revisiting this museum after so many years.

Egyptian art and stories still fascinate me. 

After leaving the museum we drove through my old neighborhood

and then it was time to gather with high school friends.

Well some have become friends just because of social media and it was fun to meet face to face and remember for awhile. I didn't take one picture, but I can say I enjoyed it more than I expected. We had all mellowed, but like in any group, I found myself gravitate to people I would normally gravitate to. It was worth just being surrounded by old school mates and for awhile remembering.

My next few posts will be continuing the adventure.

A Gift for You - A Flower and A Poem

 

Prayer to Fix the Affections

O Ancient One,

your web hangs down from the pines.

I am of the Owl clan.

I have been to water,

my dress is of red clay.

He moves at the edge of you,

binds us with your threads.

The center of his soul shall be my soul’s center.

Our paths shall be white forever.

Where we move the paths from every direction

shall recognize each other.

We are one never to be parted. 

~Gladys Cardiff

Eastern band of Cherokee

 

Posted in honor of Indigenous Day today

 

The flower pictures were taken in the gardens of the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, California. I lived in San Jose from the 6th grade through high school and this museum was occasionally a school excursion, which I loved. I hadn't been back since then and decided it was time for a revisit. It wasn't the same, but it was still special. More on another day.

 

Celebrate our differences and our delights!

Diversity is what makes our world most fascinating.

 

 

 

Adventure

 

“Would you like an adventure now,

 or would you like to have your tea first? ”

 -James M. Barrie.

 I am off on an adventure for the next week.

When I return I will have stories to share.

Tea will be sipped and people to see.

But most of all a return to another time in my life, a time to remember and savor once more. 

Have a terrific week while I am away!

A Gift for You - A Flower and A Poem

 

 

Flowers today are from a recent visit to Lan Su Chinese Gardens. This lotus was stunning.

 

How It Is

Over and Over we break

open, we break and

we break and we open.

For a while, we try to fix

the vessel - as if

to be broken is bad.

As if with glue and tape

and a steady hand we

might bring things to perfect

again. As if they were ever

perfect. As if to be broken is not

also perfect. As if to be open

is not the path toward joy.

The vase that's been shattered

and cracked will never

hold water. Eventually

it will leak. And at some

point, perhaps, we decide

that we're done with picking

our flowers anyway, and no

longer need a place to contain them.

We watch them grow just

as wildflowers do - unfenced, 

unmanaged, blossoming only

when they're ready - and mygod,

how beautiful they are amidst

the mounting pile of shards.

~Rosemary Wahtola Trommer

Japanese anemone were in full bloom in the garden,but they are also blooming in my garden at home.

As in the poem, a flower blooms only when it is ready to bloom. Do we likewise bloom when we are ready? And yes, there is a part of brokenness in life that allows the light to shine through the cracks and make us more beautiful. I think, for me, it is a hard lesson that I continue to learn.
 

Have a beautiful week, dear friends!

The Color of Autumn

 With the anticipation of Autumn in the air, I have been looking for signs. The color ORANGE just speaks to me of the season at hand. I never really paid attention to orange, but this year I am looking for it. Sometimes it is just a small touch and other times a splash that says "notice me!". As I write this I am wearing my orange tee shirt. It really is a happy color.

 With the visit not long ago to the dahlia farm I found touches of orange in both huge and tiny pumpkins. They just made me smile. I had gone for flowers, which you know I enjoyed, but also found orange.

And then with a visit to the farmers market in search of my favorite Gravenstein apples, I also found orange and cheerful color.

Autumn Fires

Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens
   And all up in the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
   See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over, 
   And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
   The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
   Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
   Fires in the fall!

And then just a few days ago my "live-in gardener" and I took a walk at Lan Su Chinese Gardens and again there was that color. The pomegranates and lanterns just spoke of Autumn.

Aren't the lanterns pretty? I loved seeing them. In fact I think they encouraged me to look more for orange everywhere I went.

This old grain mill is a short drive north of Portland into Washington State, but it just speaks to me of Autumn in all it's glory.

Then today I walked through an antique mall and again there was a touch of orange. I had never seen a teapot with an orange rose. I think it is sort of 1930's or 1940's retro and quite happy with color. No, it didn't come home with me; but I love taking my camera to the antique mall just to bring home pictures to share with you.

And finally right in my own yard there is a new dahlia blooming. It was an addition to the garden this year and it makes me so happy to see it begin to bloom. This bloom is called Iced Tea. Can you guess why I had to add it to our garden collection? Just the name tugged at my heart. I think it is beautiful!

So may I wish you a happy Autumn!

Go out and notice what brings a smile to your face.

Happy weekend, dear friends!