Sunset In Napa Valley - Christmas Eve

Not a bad place at all to think of as "back home".

Move It

What can I say about my move to Boston?  I think one word sums it up well: Surprising.  I was surprised again and again by how calm I was.  I'm still sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

My mom and I flew out on 7/31 around 10pm and arrived in Boston early the next morning.  I didn't sleep on the plane.  At all.  Fun times.  When we arrived in Boston I discovered that one of my bags had been "misplaced".  And by "misplaced", I mean that it was probably sent to Boston via Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands, perhaps with a stop on Mars.  Luckily, the bag was dropped off on my doorstep sometime in the middle of the night having only gone to Philadelphia (but with a tan that suggested a more tropical locale.)

So, my mom and I spent the next three days waiting for my car and furniture to arrive and making many trips to Target and Ikea.  These trips were fun at first, but two hours in Ikea deciphering and translating is way too much time.  My right eye still starts to twitch whenever I see a letter with two little dots above it.  

As it stands right now, I am about 90% moved in (thanks, in large part, to the two guys downstairs who row crew at Harvard and have been my sherpas).  On 8/4 I dropped my mom at the airport and I drove down the coast to Martha's Vineyard.  (Note: the ocean is on the wrong side out here.  This may lead to some interesting navigation for a California girl).  I took the ferry here and am in paradise.  I'm sitting on the screened in porch looking out at the lighthouse and Vineyard Sound.  I can see why the Obamas and Kennedys hang out here.  

I will share photos of my place once it is completely set up.  Until then, enjoy some pictures from the Vineyard.  

Pretty Boy

I recently learned how to make curled ribbon by wrapping ribbon around a barbeque skewer, clipping it at both ends, and baking it at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.  The result is fun curly ribbon that looks great in hair accessories.  And, of course, this was bound to happen ~

Notorious D.O.G.

Yep, that's Arrow's other nickname. And I think he wears it quite well, don't you? 
(He asks that you please disregard the hot pink toenails)

He Shot The Sheriff

Arrow's nickname is Deputy.  It used to be Deputy Dog, but somewhere along the way it got shortened. He actually responds to it too.  Couldn't you just eat him up?

A Lovely Gift

My parents presented me with this gift last week.  They had one of my paintings framed, no small feat given that it is about 3 feet wide.  The painting is based on a photo that I took of one of the roses that my mother grows in her garden.  I think this is what Oprah calls a Full Circle Moment.

I Don't Want To Talk About It

We've Had Some Rain, Clearly

Back At It

Thanks to a wicked storm we were without power here for about 48 hours.  Add that to the fact that my computer was in the shop getting a new hard drive and a bunch of other stuff, and you will understand why blogging has not been very regular.  

While I get things back in order (and throw a bunch of stuff out of the refrigerator) I will leave you with a few photos of the recent "Super Moon".  I didn't think the size difference was noticeable until I took these photos and saw how much of the frame the moon takes up compared to previous shots I have taken.  For perspective and orientation, the large crater on the right of the moon in these photos is Tycho.

Foggy Bottom

No, these pictures were obviously not taken in Foggy Bottom.  I just like saying Foggy Bottom.  Foggy Bottom, Foggy Bottom, FOGGY BOTTOM!  Okay I'm done.  

The fog in these pictures is a frequent visitor in the Napa Valley.  Fog will settle in over the valley, leaving the mountains on either side in the sunshine.  It looks like an ocean or lake.  Or maybe like someone dropped dry ice into the valley.  

Oil On Canvas

Here it is, the product of my relatively newfound love of oil paints.  I'm not sure I can go back to acrylics now.  I started with a landscape taken from one of my photographs of Lake Tahoe.  

Don't Let The Baby Eyes Fool You, He Is The Devil

Time In Tahoe

Every year my family makes the trek up to the house in South Lake Tahoe.  It seems like we always get the most wonderful weather when we are there.  This year we had blue skies the entire time, and about 5 feet of fresh powder on the ground.  

We did a little snowshoeing. 

(Photos of me courtesy of my mother)

Arrow has figured out that it is much easier to walk on the back of my show shoes rather than sink into the snow up to his chest.  As you can imagine, I don't take too kindly to having to lift his weight and mine through the snow.  

The decks of the house offer some luscious scenery.

My mother, grandmother and I went up to Northstar for lunch at the Ritz Carleton one day.  The lunch was spectacular and so was taking the gondola down to Northstar Village.  

The village and the Ritz are set up in a ski in, ski out fashion.  The gondola goes right over the ski runs and the restaurant is at the bottom of one of the smaller runs.  They also have a pretty cool half pipe.

(My Mother and Grandmother)

Driving home through the Nevada side of the lake offered some wonderful views. 

All told, it was a spectacular vacation.

A Christmas Eve Walk Through The 'Hood

We're coming back from the snow today. I will miss it dearly but this isn't a bad neighborhood to return to.

The Face Of Pure Evil

This is Callie, Satan's cat. She is my lurker enforcer. She wants you to comment, and Callie gets what she wants. So comment often, and don't say I didn't warn you if you don't.

Last Hurrah