Camping in San Simeon

There is nothing like a weekend of camping to sooth the nerves. The photo below is the view from our campsite in San Simeon. I could stare at that view for hours...and I did.

It was almost as if we were in the mountains with all the fabulous tree climbing trees. I love the ocean and Mr. Honey loves the mountains, so this setting was the perfect compromise.

While the grandsons climbed trees Mr. Honey barbequed burgers. Yum!

We ate s'mores, but they disappeared before getting a photo for evidence.

A game of scrabble was all it took to put a smile on my grandsons faces.

Here's a sweet moment shared by my daughter and her littlest. You can see more photos on my girl's blog here.

Art in the Barn - Boston Part VI

While in Boston I was taken to a lovely art show that took place in a barn. It was a beautiful setting to have an event to support conservation.


Who doesn't love an old barn?

Someone put together a lovely bouquet to greet us at the entrance to the barn and to grace the food table. I love the arrangement to the right of the map and also the white and purple arrangement below. Flowers always add festivity to any occasion.

There were authentic Ukuleles made from cigar boxes, fully functional.



What event would be complete without music?


I love this sculpture hanging from the rafters in the barn.
The sculptures continued outside the barn.

Memories for Father's Day

Even though, most of my life my father was absent from my life, I have enough memories embedded in my psyche to be thankful for the father that God gave me.

My sister in-law made this necklace for me and it will forever be a keepsake that reminds me my father did love me.

I was only two when my parents divorced, and I was a mama's girl all the way. My sister Nonie was the one that was most hurt when my parents split up. Everyone said my sister was the spitting image of our father.

We would see my Dad off and on while we were growing up, at least, until I was about 10. Since my mother moved us to L.A. right after the divorce we only saw my dad occasionally.

I remember being at my Aunt Leonie's house and laying in bed with my dad in the morning, and telling him when I grew up I wanted to marry him. He laughed and said, "Oh, you wouldn't want to marry me!" And then he would take his false teeth out and laugh some more. I do remember his great sense of humor.

He called me Kitty when I was little and he was the only one I allowed to call me that. It's kind of sweet to have the memory of being given a pet name.

Another time he took us for a drive and he was chewing gum, making it pop, and he kept acting like he was going to open the car door while the car was moving, and saying maybe he should get out and let us drive. It was a little scary, but I think he was just having some fun with us. I guess I associated my dad with both danger and fun.

The years passed and we saw less and less of him. Part of that was mine and my sister's choice, because it was too painful to have no communication for long lengths of time and then have him show up suddenly. Eventually, we just refused his visits.

As I had children of my own my perspective changed. I had a longing to be known by my father, but was unwilling to take the initiative anymore, because I had tried and been disappointed too many times. Then one of my aunts passed away and I was reunited with my father once more at my aunt's funeral.

I will never forget talking with him in my cousin's garden while he squeezed the juice out of an orange that he had picked from a tree where we sat and talked. He was so nervous he just used that orange to release all the tension he must have felt trying to have a conversation with me. The juice that was extracted by Dad's tension dripped to the ground, like the love that had been held for all those years, and now it was oozing out all over the place.

For the first time I palpably felt my Dad's love for me. It was a powerful moment for both of us, but it was a deeply healing moment for me.

I never dreamed that by the time my father would pass we would have reconciled the way that we did. It was a real gift. I know his granddaughters are all thankful they had a chance to know him, even though only briefly.

Before he left this world he attended my youngest daughter's ballet recital, danced at my eldest daughter's wedding and connected to my middle daughter as only he could, being he was the middle child in his family. He was visibly proud to be a Grandpa, and I'm so thankful that on Father's Day I can celebrate a relationship of healing.

Brookie's birthday celebration- Part V of my Boston trip

I left for Boston excited that I would be celebrating Brook's birthday with her. I've missed many of her celebrations since she moved away from home over ten years ago. We went to a restaurant called Greenland Cafe in Salem, very close to where Brook lives, to meet up with two of Bryn and Brook's friends for dinner.


Bryn and Brook's friends suggested something called buzz buttons before dinner. I guess they are suppose to make your tongue numb.


I could not be tempted, however, being a bit of a chicken myself.

Of course when Brook said it tasted like bad fish I knew I had made the right decision not to partake, L.O.L.

We closed the restaurant down laughing and partying on. For that part of the fun, I didn't need a buzz button to join in.




Dave and Courtney were so much fun. It was like having Saturday Night Live right at our table.
I still laugh when I think about them.

I'm so glad I was there.

Where Brook lives and works - Part IV

This is the door that greets you when you visit New Harmony Wellness Center in Beverly, Ma. This is where my daughter Brook lives and works. She is a shiatsu massage practitioner. Upstairs is where Brook lives and the clinic is on the main floor...very convenient when it's winter and snow is in abundant supply!

Here is a shot of the entire place. I love New England architecture, don't you?

When you enter the clinic you will find a bright, cheerful, Zen and spa like atmosphere to welcome you in.

Here is Brook, hard at work in her treatment room. I was lucky enough to score a two hour massage (maybe it was longer, I don't remember because I fell asleep). Ah....so spoiled!

Brook's housemate Bryn Clark is a master of acupuncture.

He gifted me an acupuncture session (actually, two sessions) and fixed me up with some Chinese herbs to enhance my health and well being. I truly feel like I've been pampered and loved!

Now continuing upstairs you will see the living room where the hardwood floors were being installed when I first arrived. Brook had asked my advise on incorporating the persimmon color you see on the ceiling. I had suggested the ceiling, because she would still get a punch of color without overpowering the room. I then suggested, if grey was her color of choice, to paint horizontal stripes using flat paint for every other stripe and then semi gloss on opposite stripes in the same grey, for a subtle feeling of texture. It turned out beautifully, wish my photos reflected how stunning it looks in person. Don't you love it when your kids take your advise?


Below you see the color of the walls Brook had the sitting room off her bedroom painted. She picked this electric blue that is so vibrant it makes you feel warm and cozy inside, especially because Brook paired it with the gold wood work that was painted over red and then had a crackle finish added to give real depth to the color. The floors are maple and the contrast of the light floors and the deep rich color is just fabulous!

I should have taken a close up photo of the wood work so that you could see the detail...so sorry!

Brook has artfully displayed things she has collected throughout the space. It has a definite eclectic style that makes me smile.


Here's my girl, letting me take a photo to remember my wonderful trip with her.

Do you recognize the West Elm sofa below? I had that shipped to Brook before she actually arrived in Boston this past September. It is cozy and comfortable. The little green velvet chair had belonged to her grandmother. The window treatment has the look and feel of burlap and is the perfect finishing touch.


The face mask of Brook above is amazing. I don't know how she did that, but I think it is really cool.
I love her sweet little bedroom, just big enough for her queen sized canopy bed. I love the green she chose and the painting that accents the room.

Hope you enjoyed the tour! I can hardly wait til I can go to Boston again. More stories and photos of my trip will follow on future posts.

A play and a stroll through Boston Gardens - Part III

The morning after I arrived in Boston my darling daughter planned an excursion through Boston Garden across from Boston Common. We picked up headphones and I-pods to listen to a play presented by Arts Emerson, with mapped out stops throughout the garden as we walked. It was a play about the actors in a Mid Summer Night's Dream. It was not the actual Mid Summer Night's Dream play, but a rather dark tale about the actors. It was a gloriously beautiful day, so the darkness of the play was contrasted by the beauty of the garden and the day.

Above is a photo of Bryn, myself and Brook with map in hand for our tour.

Boats carried happy tourists on the water through the park.

I was thrilled to do anything Brook suggested because I was so happy to see her in her new environment.





There were statues and flowers and a mama duck and her ducklings to watch, and children enjoying the outdoors.