Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Happy Solstice

We just came home from a lovely solstice get together at our friends M&L's home.  They hosted a wonderful party with dinner, candles, goodies, and tradition to celebrate the shortest day of light in the year, or rather the gradual return of day light after today.  
Dinner was yummy Quiche, salad, and butternut squash soup.  Treats included sweet bread, cake, and chocolate - including chocolate covered figs... devine.
Part of the tradition is writing down things you want to leave behind in the year - or things you wish for in the coming year and then set them aflame in the fire so that the smoke sends them up to the power(s) that be.  Our hosts set out origami paper squares, pens, and pinecones for us to prep our thoughts prepare to burn.  It was really interesting how much my thoughts and wishes had changed in the past year - and how different peoples pinecones looked when prepped.  Mine is the one on the left, my friend D's is on the right.  
The one above is Chris's.  Once everyone was ready we set them all in the fire and watched them burst into flames.
It was so neat to take a few minutes to sit and really reflect and put thought into what I wanted to let go and leave behind, and what I hoped would come in the next year.  Happy holidays everyone.  Enjoy the extra light!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Since the last post

Top 5 things since the last post;

1. Chris being totally pleased with his breakfast egg, bacon, pepper, onion, and goat cheese creation (me too).
2. Several rounds of two player Blokus (we're addicted).
3. Re-discovering sauteed spinach with shallots and mushrooms.
4. Dinner on the table with our Christmas shopping and packing supplies awaiting us.
5.  Wrapping up our gifts.  
We picked Hallmark brand wrapping paper this year, a birthday version actually, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it was 'adhesive'.  Meaning the underside is slightly tacky and will stick to your packages nicely, making a smooth finish to your gift (score at 2 rolls for 4.99).  I love the pattern as it is almost an acid green, a graphic, yet ties into Christmas well, and everyone will know who the gifts are from!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Grateful

I woke up this morning grumpy after staying up too late with our friends last night (Birthday party at Benihana then over at a friend's house playing apples to apples and eating home baked cookies - poor me).  After settling onto the couch with a cup of coffee I was still grumpy.  My husband got up and through the fog I started smelling bacon, and the world snapped back into place.  I am so grateful and happy in my life right now.  Here are some things I am very grateful for at this moment:

1. Time with friends who enrich our lives.
2. Gourmet bacon shipped in dry ice from my Dad and Step-mom.

Swedish Christmas dolls Chris's mom brought back for me from her trip a
couple years ago; Chris is happily cracking eggs in the background.
3. The click of our new/borrowed/on-loan/permanent Canon EOS Rebel XTi 400D camera... thanks to Chris's Dad.
4. Christmas is 1 week away and we will be in SLO with our family and the dogs in 6 days.

My adorable husband in the kitchen.
5. Chris cooking breakfast inspired by our Benihana chef's amazing performance last night.  I wonder if he'll make a stack of onions into a steaming 'volcano' too?

Train

Last month after deciding to extend my stay in San Diego to catch up with family I decided to skip the expensive fee to change my flight and got a 45$ train ticket from San Diego to San Luis Obispo (SLO) to meet up with Chris.  If you have never taken the train between San Diego and SLO, put it on your bucket list.  It is an amazing route that runs along the ocean, through vineyards, and areas of CA not seen by car.  I was absolutely glued to my window through most of the trip.  Here are some pictures from my seat.
Fields of green in S. CA.
Marsh land at sunset.
Beach south of Santa Barbara at Sunset.
I'm just kicking myself for not taking my camera out earlier - the train goes by a lot of beaches north of San Diego and it was so cool to be passing all the people out on the friday after thanksgiving who were on the beach playing and waving at the train.  This is a must do again.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Coffee

Wood's Coffee House, San Carlos
Our friends just opened a new coffee shop literally a block from our house.  Chris and I have added a daily AM visit and head down there together at about 6:45 on the weekdays.  I get my coffee to go and then kiss Chris goodbye and leave him there to ponder the morning with his Latte and the Internet.  Amazingly, this detour is actually helping me show up to work on time or even a few minutes early.  Love it.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Bocce Ball Party

We had a wonderful party on Sunday for our friends M&L who are getting married soon.  We reserved the Bocce Ball green at a new restaurant called 'The Office' about 3 blocks from our home and invited everyone to join us for a casual and relaxed Sunday afternoon celebration for M&L.  The gathering went perfectly, people came, played games, enjoyed food, and congratulated M&L on their upcoming wedding.

Chris helps by carrying the balloons.
Chris and friends
play a game of blockus.
A guest throws out the pallino (a small white ball which is the target) for a game of Bocce.
Friends take their turn throwing out their Bocce balls.
I had made a small photo book for M&L with pictures I had pirated off of Facebook of them as a couple.  People signed well wishes in the book and L liked it so much she asked if she could also put the book out at their wedding.  Once the party started winding down we changed location by walking to our apartment and having desserts and coffee.  The change in scenery worked perfectly and the party kept on going for another couple of hours.  It was a wonderful night and a true testament that hosting a party doesn't have to be hard.  It was just some simple planning and arranging on our part and the bride and groom to be were both very touched and pleased.