This and That

New beautiful glass bird bath that is nestled in the garden 

Passion flower - has to one of my favorites - oh the beauty!

New bloom. Zinnia. Now it has buds that are getting ready to bloom

Still swimming daily and when I get tired, I can lounge in this mermaid ring. The pool is about 88 degrees and warmed by the sun

I gathered some of my small animal collection to draw and paint about valuing differences

A painted shelf that hold some of my prized collections, including small animals

And my watercolor painting about valuing differences. I was born into a family that found no value in my differences and that was extremely disappointing and left me wondering about who I was. I have overcome that thankfully to live out my hopes and dreams in my own way. How important to value our differences. If we were all the same, life would be boring. 

Roma Tomatoes!

We have a mourning dove who has made a nest on the patio roof and I believe has two babies under her wings. This was the first one and a day later, another. They will be in the nest for about 10 days and father dove will be feeding the mom

Be the light in the darkness. Be the love you seek. Be the change in the world. Be the peace you seek

Family history and 8mm movies. It took 3 months to get these back from Legacy digital in Orange. All on a thumb drive. I am viewing each one and making notes. My parents were very bad at labeling these. My grandparents added some labels, but were equally bad at keeping a good record on the boxes and reels. I have hours and hours of files to watch and what a trip down memory lane. No sound. But I can use my imagination!

Happy in the Garden

One Plumeria plant is blooming and I am patiently waiting for the rest to bloom

Passion Flower vine minus the fruit. I am happy with this prolific vine and that it doesn’t bear fruit. Just another thing that the rats and squirrels like to eat

A favorite of hummingbirds, bees and butterflies 

Sunflower! Can’t wait for this to bloom

These were planted from bulbs and there are several of these in the garden!

Another bulb bloom. So happy in the garden

Just after we get done with the purple blooms in the backyard with Wisteria over the patio roof, then the Jacarandas bloom in the front yard. These blooms are so amazing! Just don’t park your car under it. Bees are totally into these bloom on the trees and on the driveway

We have a bunch a these that have been blooming nonstop since the beginning of the stay at home order in 2020

The meadow look which has taken over a year to create. I have many weeds to pull in this garden and ever so slowly I am getting it done with lots of sunscreen, a hat and a kneeling bench! 

This is a list of the books I’ve read mid-June to now. Such a fun ride so far. Could I retire? Would I be happy working in the garden, swimming and reading? Things I am thinking about. My grandma retired at 65 to sew, garden, swim and read. 

Spending time on my studio in the mornings because it’s just too hot in the afternoons. I did get a lot done today! 

The pool is calling me!

Back garden with a fence around it because we have had some dog guests

This is Stryker. He belongs to my friend Libby Williamson. He loved swimming in the pool while we chatted! Happy Summer!

An Unexpected Road Trip

My daughter and I took a trip to Joshua Tree early 4:30 am in the car on Tuesday morning. I went with no expectations

Armed with sunscreen, water, hats and good shoes, we took some hikes. Happy to have a lifetime National Park pass! 

This was our first hike through the Cholla Cactus Garden with plants with large warning signs. Don’t touch. Don’t rub against it. But way beyond this garden was a huge scape that was both vast and scary. It looked like another planet

Porcupines growing up out of the dry earth

This area had tri-colored plants/trees. As we entered the park, these were totally gray

All of the shoe i prints on our hike. I was pretty happy that I could hike and I felt strong! My daughter is an amazingly encouraging person! 

Second hike was a little further. I call this the cotton ball tree. I love the contrast between sky and earth

This is iconic Joshua Tree

Map of where our first hike was

Arch Rock was our second hike and it was about 84 outside at 8am. As we drove closer to the entrance of the park, other colors of foliage began to change. Saw some purple buds and even some light turquoise 

Heading out of the park 

First stop Coffee and now it’s 90 degrees

Visited the Oasis Visitor Center to buy some tshirts and small books about birds and plants in the area. 


It was pretty great to see a bush with purple flowers on it. We got home around Noon, so we could beat the heat. Started at 72 degrees at 7am and ended with 100 by the time we headed out. I wonder what this looks like in the winter and what the options are to stay overnight. 

A Napa Vacation

We were here in March, and was excited to see the gardens in Summer and they didn’t disappoint 

Artichokes

My daughter went wine tasting with friends and brought me back one of my favorites from Elyse in Napa

Daughter made cinnamon rolls 

At the Castle with my daughter and two of her friends

Talk about painted walls!

Shall we begin?



Such an incredibly fun afternoon!

Women’s restroom. Ladies painted on the stalls 


Pool time. There is nothing like swimming with our kids and grands! 

Teaching my grandson that’s is fun to be wild and crazy!




Another great breakfast made by my daughter!

The puzzle that mostly everyone had a hand in 

Such a great time with family and friends! Until next time Napa!