#2940 three things: SoCal edition

 

Lizzie, Mom, and me 
photo by Lizzie

I am back from an excellent little vacation in southern California. I got there on Wednesday night, and I came home on Monday night. As far as mini-vacations go, it was pretty great. There was a good balance between doing stuff and hanging out at home, plus the weather was superb! Here are three of my favorite things we did, in no particular order.

1. Knott's Berry Farm. I haven't been to Knott's in decades. I don't think I've been there since T has been alive, and that's going on 27 years. I don't actually remember the last time I was there - maybe when I was in college? Anyway, Mom expressed an interest in going, so we bought some tickets for Thursday Feb 20. The park opened at 11:00, and we got there around 1:00 or so. It was glorious. The weather was awesome, there weren't any crowds, and it was just really pleasant to stroll around. We went on a few rides. I rode one wee roller coaster that damaged my shins and my ribs. Lizzie rode a particular roller coaster a couple of times and totally loved it. Most of the roller coasters there are too roller coastery for me. I was dang happy to walk around, though. A few photos:

We stayed until closing time, at 6:00, then went over to The Cauldron for a light dinner. It was a fantastic day.

2. Sunset in Long Beach. Mom knew of a brewery called Ballast Point that has a nice outdoor patio with wonderful sunset views. She wasn't wrong. The patios (one upstairs, the other on the main level) were great. We sat on the main level and watched a spectacular sunset. There's something about sipping a beer on a nice evening, watching the sunset over the ocean that rejuvenates my spirit. It was truly a highlight of my trip.

photo by Lizzie

3. Shopping for stickers. Lizzie told me about a local business where she bought most of the gifts she gave at Christmas, and it sounded cute so I asked her to take me. The place is called Local Fixture, and it is in Whittier. So. Cute. They had lots of cool stuff, and I think I looked at every last thing. I ended up with a couple of things, one of which was a sticker book by Ban.do that is, well, super fun. We went to another little shop about a block over called Pour le Bain. Not only did they have soaps and lotions, but they also had stickers, so I bought some there, too. Those were just loose stickers, not in a booklet. That wasn't the end of the sticker buying. On Saturday morning, I bought a couple of stickers at the La Mirada Farmer's Market. There is an artist who is always there, and I always buy some of his stickers. You can check him out on Instagram @ninoskaarte. PLUS, when we were in Long Beach, before we went to Ballast Point, we went to 2nd & PCH, a mall at the marina. We actually went there for lunch at Teleferic Barcelona (a Spanish restaurant!), and after lunch, we walked around a little. There is a groovy little store called Paper Source where Lizzie and I found some really great little stickers. Oh yeah, and I bought a couple stickers on the Queen Mary, too. Yes, I do love stickers and yes, I have a jillion of them. (No photos available of the sticker haul.)

Honorable mention

A morning walk at Creek Park. I am not much of a hiker, but I do like to get out and walk around. Lizzie took me to a pretty park in La Mirada and we had a nice walk of about two and a half miles. The area has horse properties, a creek running through it, eucalyptus trees, pine trees, flowers, grass, people walking their dogs - I really like walking there! 

Did not meet expectations

Paranormal tour on the Queen Mary. Lizzie and I have been talking about taking a ghost tour on the Queen Mary for years, and we decided that this was the time to do it. The Queen Mary is said to be one of the most haunted places in the U.S., and that is probably true, but the tour was a disappointment. I say that for a few reasons. First, the group was big - 30 people. It's just too many. Second, our guide was earnest but not a natural storyteller. The guide makes a big difference on tours like this, and she just wasn't quite ready for prime time. I don't think she had been on the job very long. Third, we spent extra for the two-hour tour, and it was not executed. For some reason, there was a break back in the main lobby after an hour, so we backtracked a few times, and that's irritating to me. Oh yeah, and the tour was quite expensive AND we had to pay for parking. I thought parking should have been included in the admission. There were some good things, of course. The ship is amazing, for one thing. The art deco styling is beautiful. The City of Long Beach takes good care of its investment in the ship because it is clean and nice. There was some kind of big band party going on, and there were people dressed in costumes from the 1920s and 1930s, which was really fun to see. Overall, though, the outing wasn't all I'd hoped.

#2939 what I've been up to

As I look back on this past week, what I think about the most is that I was willing to give myself some grace and recognize that when my body felt like it needed to rest, that's what I did. It seems that I often want to go to bed around 8:30 pm, but then I scoff and tell myself it's too early for bed. On  Monday, I didn't scoff. I went to bed! I had to set an alarm so I could pick T up from work. I was able to get back to sleep pretty quickly when we got home, and I felt good on Tuesday. 

Not every day went like that, of course.

On Wednesday, I went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Pioneer Theater Company here in SLC. The theater is on the campus of the University of Utah, so I was a bit concerned about the parking situation, but it ended up not being a problem at all. The theater provides free parking in a lot within steps of the venue. Parking was also easy due to the fact that the performance was a dress rehearsal of the play which opened to the public on Friday night. I really liked being in the smaller audience. I had an excellent seat in the fourth row near center stage and the show was great. Carole King's music is so familiar - I remember listening to Tapestry when I was a kid because my mom had the album. It's amazing how many well-known hits Carole King wrote. 

Friday was Valentine's Day. MT came back from Pocatello for the weekend. He and I went out for dinner to our favorite neighborhood pub, Copper Creek. I think it was the first time we've been out for dinner on Valentine's Day in years. Usually we just have a nice dinner at home. We watched a cute, easy movie when we got home - La Dolce Villa on Netflix. 

Yesterday I went to get my hairs cut. It had been about three months since my last visit with Lanna, and the hairs needed some attention. She just trimmed and shaped and snipped some life back into the curls. It feels good.

feeling sassy

MT went back to Pocatello this morning. He witnessed a bad accident right in front of him on the freeway near the Idaho border. A pick-up ran into the back of a semi and the semi dragged the truck along until it came loose. MT actually pulled the driver out of the pick-up with a highway patrol officer standing by. MT said the roads were wet, and it wasn't snowing hard, just flurries, but the pick-up was following the semi too close and there was a wreck up ahead, so when the semi slowed down, the guy in the pick-up did not. MT said the guy in the truck was alive but badly injured. So scary!!

This afternoon, I met my Red Butte Garden friends Wendy and Tracy for lunch at a restaurant in Sugarhouse called The Dodo. Wendy and Tracy each drive a tram and give complimentary tours on Sundays, and I am the docent. I love these two people. They are both kind and good, and I feel fortunate to get to hang out with them. We've met for lunch a couple of times this winter, and both times have been fun.

Since I'd never been to this restaurant before, I did a bit of research. The place is known for their desserts, so I knew I wanted to have some Toll House pie. I got a cup of one of their soups of the day, chipotle chorizo potato, which came with a very delicious roll. 

chipotle chorizo potato soup and a roll

The soup was really good, very flavorful, and just the right portion for me. I don't usually eat a lot of soup. It's not that I don't like it, necessarily, but it just doesn't hit the spot for me. In this case, though, it was perfect choice because holy gumballs, that slice of Toll House pie...

Toll House pie with whipped cream and chocolate chips

This slab of a warm chocolate chip cookie on a flaky, tender pie cruse was so very good! I didn't finish it all, so I brought it home and I've been nibbling on it this evening. The cookie was buttery and tender with a good amount of chocolate chips and walnuts. I'd absolutely have it again, and I don't know that I would share; MT would have to get his own slice. Wendy had the banana cream cheese pie with warm, homemade caramel topping, and she thought it was outstanding. Tracy didn't have dessert; he said he had a big breakfast and he had soup and a sandwich, so he was full. I did offer him a bite of mine, but he didn't take me up on it.

When I got home I decided to watch a movie, so I settled in for Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy. I'm not ashamed to tell you it made me cry a few times. My dog Mac is a sympathetic creature, and when I cry, she is the dog who comes to comfort me. She snuggled next to me and put her head on my lap. Sweet girl.

Tomorrow is a holiday, President's Day, so I don't have to work. HOORAY! Harley has an appointment at the vet at noon. I will have to give her a doggie downer at breakfast so she won't be as hyper at the appointment. She is the most mellow dog at home, but she sort of goes a little bonkers when we are around people. She gets really excited and it's hard for the vet to examine her. I give her a mild sedative - prescribed by that vet! - and it helps her and all of the humans. 

I work on Tuesday and Wednesday, then Wednesday night I will fly to Long Beach to spend a few days with Mom and Lizzie. I'm looking forward to seeing them!

So there is a recap of the best parts of the week. Now I'll finish up a wee art project and get ready for bed.

xo

#2938 art gallery

Happy Superbowl Sunday to those who celebrate! T and I will be watching the game when it starts in about 90 minutes or so. We'll probably tune in a little early to watch a bit of pre-game stuff. I am rooting for the Chiefs to win because I like that team and the coach, and I think it would be cool to see a bit of history today: no team in the history of the NFL has won the Superbowl three times in a row, and the Kansas City Chiefs could do it today. Most people I've listened to at work are hoping the Eagles win. I hope it is a good game. 

It's been a quiet week at my house. MT didn't come home this weekend, and I didn't really go anywhere, other than the office, or do anything interesting. I've been doing a little art here and there and writing in my journal, which is always interesting for me. My journal is getting zazzed up these days with stickers and doodles and sometimes even photos printed on my Sprocket. The Sprocket might be one of my favorite toys I got myself last year. 

That reminds me, I haven't showed you any art for a bit, so here are four things I did in the past few weeks:

Flower Power

This piece was from a prompt by Jill Badonsky. I drew the elephant upside down based on a model Jill provided, then I flipped it right side up to paint and add the lines. In the photo that Jill gave us, the elephant was wearing a headband with a flower, and that was when I decided to use some of the (many) stickers I have to zazz it up. I know it's a bit much, and I like it.

I Can Paint Myself Flowers

This one is from another Badonsky prompt to do an abstract floral. I had a great time painting this! It is so fun to dab paint on the page and see what happens. 

Florence Duomo at Sunset

This painting was also inspired by Ms. Badonsky who prompted us to do whatever your Muse tells you. I've been neglecting playing around in my Italy travel journal, so I pulled up a photo of one of my favorite memories and made a rough sketch of the Duomo in Florence. No, the cathedral is not yellow, but it looked yellow-ish in the sunset light. Those blue things back there are the mountains. It's not fantastic - I'm still learning and practicing, after all. 

Garden(ing) Snake

Last one! Also a Badonsky prompt to celebrate the Year of the Snake. Most of my snake experiences have happened at Red Butte Garden, so I thought it would be fun to draw a whimsical garden snake. I drew her upside down, and looking at it, her eyes are supposed to be closed, so I might have made them the wrong way up, but whatever. Also not really sure what's going on in the left corner there. Maybe I was painting some sky? 

Let's move on...

Starting on Wednesday the 12th, I'm doing fun things. That night I'm going to a play at Pioneer Theater Company that I'll tell you more about after the show. Friday is Valentine's Day and MT will be coming home for the weekend. I've got a couple of things planned for Saturday and Sunday, too. The week after will be most excellent because I get to go hang out with Mama and Lizzie for a few days!

Well, it time to make some chicken enchiladas and get ready to watch the game. Have a great week!

xo

#2937 three things: night guard, Grammys, WTF

 

Oops...I missed writing a time or two. Happy February! I hope it goes by a little quicker than January. I felt like there were eleventy-hundred days in January. Let's get to it, shall we?

1. I need a night guard. I went to the dentist today and the hygienist told me that it looks like I'm grinding my teeth at night because some of them are worn down. She asked if I have jaw pain in the mornings. I don't, but I do frequently have headaches and my neck and shoulders are sore, which can also be signs of teeth grinding. A custom-fitted night guard is expensive, but my insurance does pay for half of it.  The hygienist did say that Botox injections are another option, but that is more expensive and you have to get them every four to six months. I think the guard will last for awhile, so I think I will go ahead and get it. Not having headaches when I wake up and getting better sleep would be swell.

2. The Grammy Awards. I missed writing on Sunday because I watched the Grammy Awards, aka the LA Fire Relief telethon. I actually didn't mind the request for donations, and I liked the commercials about the local businesses affected by the fires. As far as the performances, I think my favorite was the "California Dreaming" duet by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. (Side note: please put out another album soon, Bruno!) My least favorite part of the show was the reaction by Beyoncé when she won Best Country Album. It seemed phony to me. 

3. WTF is happening? It's been less than 30 days since Trump moved back into the White House, and he seems pretty intent on tearing down a whole bunch of stuff. From the tariff announcements and subsequent walk-backs to dismantling the federal workforce (except for the military), to saying that the U.S. will buy Greenland, that Canada should be the 51st state, and that the U.S. will take control of Gaza, every day brings something new to ponder. And WTF is Elon Musk doing there? Why is he getting so much government information and how is this going to end? It all feels very weird and yucky. I am trying to keep an open mind, I really am, and maybe things will all work out, but I'm uncomfortable.

Dog bless us, everyone. 

#2936 weekend wrap-up

And here it is, Sunday night at 9:30 already. The weekends whoosh by, it seems.  Here's a peek at my days.

I woke up on Friday feeling awful. My stomach was cramping, my head was stuffy, all my joints ached, and I was kind of miserable overall. There has been a bug going around the office that has given folks similar symptoms, so I decided to stay home and try to sleep it off. I slept until about 1:30 in the afternoon, then I laid on the couch wrapped in a blanket for a couple more hours. I drank peppermint tea and ate toast to soothe my tummy and warm myself up. I took T to work, and lucky for me, he got off work early that night. More sleeping ensued.

Saturday morning I slept in until about 10:00, then I had to get up and get moving because I had a volunteer meeting at the Garden at 1:00. Yes, I know it seems like that is plenty of time to get ready, and it is, but I was moving pretty slowly. The day was cold, windy, gray, and there were snow flurries, so it was pretty yucky. The meeting was interesting, then I braved the weather to take a quick stroll around the place. I was dressed warmly enough that my core wasn't cold, but my face was, of course.

brrr

The waterfall was extra interesting. It is frozen, but water is still flowing behind the ice. The pond is frozen, too, except down by the little falls, though the creek on the other side is also frozen over.

Nature is amazing. 

Unsurprisingly, I basically had the Garden to myself. I did see four people out when I started, but that was the only time I saw them. It was cold! I'm thankful for heated seats in my car! After the walk, I ran a few errands, then came home for the rest of the day. I wrapped myself in my favorite snuggly quilt and watched a movie, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. I read the book many years ago and really liked it. The movie was sweet, too. I cried. 

I planned to stay home all day today, but then I realized I didn't have milk. I have to have milk in my coffee. Today the weather was still cold, but the sky was blue and there wasn't any wind and it was a pretty nice day. I took the dogs for their walk and played frisbee with Stella, bought some milk, had a late breakfast, then did my bookkeeping. After that, I swept and swiffered, as I must do each week to keep some kind of dominance over the dirt and dog hair. I potted a couple of plants I've been rooting (I hope they do okay. I'm not very good at potting.) Then I flopped down on the couch and watched football. The outcomes were predictable, and that's okay with me. 

I didn't do any art today :( Maybe I'll scribble a quick doodle to make myself smile. 

Let's see...what's coming up this last week of January? Not much, to be honest. I'm looking forward to creating my zine and wee calendar. MT will be home for the weekend. On Thursday at the office, we are planning to have a big clean-out day as we prepare for remodeling the admin department. I didn't think I'd ever see that happen. It will be office-y cubicles, but it will be shiny and new. I don't know what the time frame is, but we will be ready for it. 

Have a good week!

xo

#2935 three things to look forward to

3 wonky chickens

 I know the chickens are a little wonky, but I sort of love them. I drew them with my left hand. When the combs and beaks were painted, I felt like they needed something else, so I spattered paint droplets. I think they sum up my mood. January has been a long month. It's the 22nd, but it feels like the 52nd. Why is that? For me, I think it is because I didn't have many things I was looking forward to. It's best to describe it in rhyme:

Having nothing to look forward to
Left me feeling sad and blue
I said to myself, "This will not do!"
That's when I began dreaming, planning and buying
Low-spend January? Yeah, I stopped trying
But now I have plans that are way appetizing!

1. Chris Stapleton concert! I really like Chris Stapleton's music, and when I heard he was coming back to SLC this summer, I wanted to go. He'll be here in mid-August, but MT will still be out on the Colorado Trail, so I figured I wouldn't go. Plus, the seats were super expensive. But then, Stapleton added a second show on 16 August and the tickets were on pre-sale today. I had the code, so I decided to see if I could get a ticket for a reasonable price, and I did! The ticket was under $100 (for a seat, not the lawn), but of course Ticketmaster/LiveNation tacked on a 30% charge, so it came to around $130. I've paid more for concert tickets, so I'm ok. And yeah, I'll go by myself and I'm ok with that too! Yay live music!

2. A visit with Mama and Lizzie! One of my priorities this year is to see my sweet lil mamacita at least four times this year. I had a little time today, so I took a look at the calendar and planned my visits. Other years I have just figured it out as I went along, then something almost always came up and I missed out on a trip or two. I don't want that to happen this year, so I have plans to go in February, May, July, and December. Yes, it's a long time between July and December, but there's a reason for the wait. Anyway, I booked my first quarter visit today: I'll be going to southern California in mid-February. Yay to warm temps and my women-folk in February!

3. A river cruise!  SQEEEE! Lizzie and I will be sailing down the Danube in September and visiting the big three capitals of Central Europe: Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. The cruise is booked, and we are currently finalizing flights and hotels for before and after the cruise. Now, I realize this vacation is eight months away, and it is my intention to not talk about it again until at least mid-June. That doesn't mean it is not on my mind and that I am not gathering information about any of the stops we will be making. I just won't talk about them to anyone but my private journal LOL. I probably drove Lizzie nuts when I was sending her all sorts of stuff about Italy for months before we left on that trip. I'll try to show a bit more restraint on this one, but I am pretty f**king excited about it!

I hope you have things to look forward to as well!

xo

#2934 a micro-memory of Florence

I am in my office, putting up a little piece of art that I bought in Florence. It's small, maybe 8" x 8" for the mat and 4" x 4" for the art. I loved the color and the features of the city. I have it in a spot that doesn't really showcase it, but where I can easily see it when I'm sitting at my home desk. 

art by Paolo Lazzerini

Maybe what I love about the little painting the most is the memory of the store from which I bought it, and more specifically, the memory of the man who was working in the shop.

On our first day in Florence, Lizzie found a wine window close to our hotel. (I wrote about it in post #2927.)

Lizzie at the wine window

Across the street from the wine window was a little art shop.

Arte Viae shop

That's it on the right with the arched door, Arte Viae. Lizzie said that maybe we could go back there before we left because she thought she might find a pretty magnet or some other souvenir. We like to buy from small local places when we can as opposed to a kiosk that has the same stuff as the kiosk next to it. I'm actually not sure why we didn't just go in at the time, other than we'd had four glasses of wine that afternoon, and sometimes bad shopping decisions are made when you've had some drinks. (I'm thinking of a particularly tragic souvenir I bought in Puerto Vallarta after waaaaaay too much tequila.)

On our final morning in Florence after breakfast, we went back to the little art shop. It was just opening for the day and we walked in. It was very small and very cute and colorful. Click on the link above to take a peek at the website. The man in the shop explained that all of the art was by a brother and sister who grew up in Tuscany. Most of their art focuses on Tuscany and Florence. Their styles are similar. The piece I bought is by the brother.

I found the prices to be quite reasonable, so I bought a few little things, as did Lizzie. As I was checking out, the man at the counter told me about a special he had on a couple of products, and he said he had already told my friend about them. He nodded his head toward Lizzie. 

"That is my sister," I told him. 

"Oh! Your sister! Yes, I can see now a resemblance, and your voices are the same," he said. He stopped what he was doing and he got a faraway look in his eyes. "My mother and her sister used to travel together," he told me. "I can remember them planning trips, then going for a week or a few days. They were always so happy to do that." He looked over at Lizzie, who I think was still looking around. "It is unusual for sisters to travel together, I think," he said. "It is wonderful you travel together, and share these experiences. And I thank you for telling me, because it makes me remember my mother and my aunt, and it has made me happy." 

Well, I'm pretty soft-hearted about stuff like that, and I could feel my eyes get tight and a lump in my throat. I gathered up my purchases, thanked him for his time and for his beautiful shop, and we left. So, whenever I look at my little art piece from Arte Viae, I will remember the shopkeeper who remembered his mom and his aunt because two sisters from the U.S. came into his shop on a rainy October morning.