Rainbow Eggs

Clockwise from top: Hot water mixed with blueberries, green tea, parsley, cranberries, turmeric, and espresso.

 Yesterday, I was trying to come up with a way to attractively display the deviled eggs I usually bring to my dear friend and neighbor's annual Easter gathering. I found this website on pinterest. The pastel-colored-eggs are gorgeous but foreign colors for foods can be alarming (purple ketchup?). And food dye's have a bad rap in general. For years I've been meaning to experiment with dyeing eggs from sources from nature. From the research I did (Martha Stewart) they produce more subtle, elegant colors. 

After getting some ideas off the interwebs and checking my kitchen, I ended up using: coffee, frozen cranberries, frozen blueberries/blackberries, green tea, turmeric, and parsley, which I ran through our beloved juicer.

 Pretty and pastel-y, like I hoped!

I wanted to mix in the dill and parsley but in the end allowed people the option by serving on the side.

 I was worried the coffee one would taste too strong--it wasn't. 

 We were lucky to form a quality group of friend our first year living here. Our friends are grad students and spouses, who moved here from other parts of the country. We live in the same complex, so borrowing stuff and watching TV shows in pajamas is our normal.  Without family accessible, we're forced to rely on each other for community in ways you might not have to when living in a familiar place. Recently, we've seen dear friends move on to bigger and better things and leave us. Our time in this humble community has an end in sight. Year five is drawing to a close and I know that someday we wont be carving pumpkins together, crowding around for Thanksgiving, or celebrating Easter together in style. In the meanwhile, I try to live in the moment (and take lots of pictures) so I'll remember these good ole days.

Reasons to Celebrate Springtime

View from my front door: Rain makes the mountains green--and golden. I do love this Golden State.

 ..winter was over and gone with the thrill of delight that spring never fails to bring to the oldest and saddest as well as to the youngest and merriest.    --Anne of Green Gables

 It's poppy season again!  They grow so effortlessly, with their blue-green carrot-top foliage. I love to pluck them and arrange them in bouquets.  It isn't illegal to pick them--I looked into it.

 The sky is bigger. The roads are wider. And clouds add great dimension. 

 Branches you'd want to lay under, if the ground weren't so soggy.

Urchin

 

 Another benefit:  Rain showers and overcast skies keep the regulars away from the beach. No crowds.

Whelk.

And the tumble-y stormy sea spits up cool treasures: yours for the taking.

Today I returned to work after Spring Break. I have had amazing Spring Breaks in my life: backpacking in the Utah dessert, San Fran, Sicily (junior year of college), National parks. This year I intended to leave town but ended up sleeping in instead...about 13 hours a night. And wandering about and exploring. I am feeling restored!

I kept thinking this was my first stay-at-home Spring Break. A blog post from three years ago entitled Wildflower Drive and Rainbow Dance (hippie, hehe) proved this was not true. We were the same people, pretty much living the same life. Only back then I took pictures with a camera rather than phone. We were also way poorer, not engaged yet, and maybe not quite as beaten down by the man. Enjoy!

I will end this post with a question like I did back then.

For what reasons do you celebrate Springtime?

Five or Fifteen Things

Colorful kids--and generous parents. My class is looking good. 

Beautiful children and their self-portraits.

Last week they did an exciting tie-dye project led by some terrific parents in my room. We frequently talk about primary and secondary colors, so it was wonderful to see all the colors blended together in a real-life way. 

Today we made a beautiful book of thank you notes. My students are so creative and growing so much as a writers and independent humans. It is so fun to witnessed. And I found the perfect use for a fancy tie-dye patterned pad of post-its I was gifted.

I did all the paperwork (not my strength) required to transfer to a new salary class. Moving to a new state,  I still started at Class 1 even with a high quality Masters degree. I managed to earn over 20 units in two years (evening classes, summer Writing Project) since working for this district. I feel accomplished and am happy to make a bit more money.

Really late in the game on this, but I bought an eyelash curler. I curled my lashes and think it actually DOES make a big difference. Va-va-vooom. A little scary. Do you get use to it?

Tonight I will eat pineapple upside down cake to celebrate a friend and neighbor's 32nd birthday. I don't have fancy digs but I love my community. My neighbors are my friends. We borrow things from one another, crowd together and watch TV in our PJs, and stumble upon easy conversations at the laundry room or mailboxes. Dorms for grown-ups.

My eyes are so tired of pinks and red and glitter and hearts. I can't wait for the switch to March. I find spring the most thrilling and dramatic season....I LOVE flowers and rainbows and clovers and soothing green. If Summer is the weekend of the Year, Spring is like Thursday night before the weekend. Friday Eve...   Two more days and then I refresh my calendar and classroom and begin celebrating spring. 

Do you see signs of a new season? What things are you looking forward to?

April Living

Thumbprints...

Friends on the road...

Annual poppy outing.

I haven't taken as many pictures as I ought to.  I need more adventure.  

Summer is almost here. 

Can't wait! 

Why National Parks are Awesome

Easter morning we looked down on Badwater Basin.

It's cold at this elevation.

I saw my first ever cayote--he looks surprisingly like Wylie.  

Andrew spotted him with his eagle eyes.

I couldn't resist capturing this festive option
in the dusty (expensive!!!) general store.

More Signs of Spring

Lunch dates in the garden.

Feathered friends gather nesting fodder.

Impromptu bouquets.

Asparagus--eat it raw when it's this fresh.

Green & Gold Hiking

Winter rain =Golden hillsides.

Poppyful

Cold Springs!

Mossacious or Mossalicious? 

To Market, To Market..

 

Sundays are about buying fresh food.

 

And flowers.

So grateful for the access to good food.  I've been gardening with kindergarteners the last few weeks and it has been a joy to share the love of fresh real food and its source.  So far the top hits have been lemon thyme "smells like lemonade," wild mint, and broccoli florets right of the plant. 

Vision in White

I have a soft spot for flowers. The brightness of white flowers is especially refreshing. We brought our Saturday morning smoothie out to the table in the garden.This stunning white iris awaited me.They're back! The magic of bulbs.

These came back too. I originally had them in my window box. Once they were faded and sad looking I stuck them in the garden. They also returned to celebrate.  Happy spring equinox! 

Calla lilies are prolific in this climate. A few years ago I stuck tiny bulbs in the ground and clumps of this spherical flower return yet again. Thanks to the winter rain the garden thrived despite neglect.

 One of the most thrilling aspects of any wedding for me is the flowers.

  I can't wait!

Meet the Neighbors

This little skunklet was hanging out in a neighbor's caged in garden plot. Note: This is why my garden plots aren't barricaded/suburbia-ed off. The poor little guy was shaking in his booties as the neighborhood kids tried to rescue capture him. He must have been too young to spray (shucks) but don't worry, I broke out my bossy teacher voice and had them release him.
We rode our tandem bike right next to this dangerous looking sunbather. Andrew had me turn and check him out only after we passed him by. Rumor is he is a gopher snake who goes for little animals that eat our veggies so I'm supposed to like him. Snakes bring out a primal fear in me. Maybe because I didn't grow up with them--Hawaii is a snake-free zone. Snake lore is intriguing, I just don't want to see them.
Yes, there are a few trees in this desert. It's hard to imagine but this whole area was once an oak forest. I was laying under this tree and I found its beauty striking. I was doing sit-ups (!?) Yes, I'm officially committed to getting in shape again. I am going to reduce the layer of pudge that accidentally accumulated when I wasn't paying attention. Plus, due to working with germy little people, I really need to boost my immunity and avoid this whole pig flu scandal.
The last neighbor I am featuring is Fairview Gardens. I love walking through this organic farm admiring the fair view and picking up small-scale growing inspiration. Plus, they have cute chickens. I took this pic from the library window. Yes, I'm the person wandering the stacks with my zoom lens out. ;-)

April Rain Song

Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
And I love the rain.
--Langston Hughes

I spent this weekend in the warm sun. Tomatoes, basil, and peppers were planted while my neighbors all worked in their own gardens nearby. I swung by the beach and found it packed. I spent some time alongside some other neighbors out polishing up their bikes. I shiny-ed up and de-rusted my bicycles, replaced a busted tire tube, and *finally* splurged on a cute wire basket. I sipped ice coffee in the park. I attended a barbecue. My mind has been on all things summer.

Today I biked in to have lunch with A, and noticed it was a bit cooler out. On the way home, I was riding in a downpour. Although I had to squint through the thick raindrops, I was grinning the whole time (probably looking a bit crazed). It's still spring!

Rainy day: tree has leaves again & my container gardens are loving it.

I'm giddy over this reprieve from our usual sunshine. Listening to the rain fall feels very romantical. I think I'll light some candles, play some some sad songs, and turn the heater back on.

Love Struck: Dutch Iris Duo

Yesterday I discovered these amazing Dutch Irises blooming in my garden. I planted them in early November and had forgotten which bulbs were what. Waking up to these beauties was a lovely way to start my day.

They are almost orchid-like in their fancy, sculptural shape. I just finished Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief which involves the passion, lust, and obsession for flowers and living things. I'm not quite at that point...yet.

While looking at this picture, I recall a feng-shui principle that says displaying things in pairs is suppose to promote a positive and harmonious relationship between a couple. It must be working!

Wildflower Drive & Rainbow Dance

Spring break has come... this is one of my favorite times of year and I am always ready to skip town, explore, and have some adventures. Instead, for several reasons, (lack of funds and a dedicated-to-labwork-scientist-future-doctorate of a bf) we've decided to stick around but try to make this week a bit more special. I love the idea of staycations. I grew up in the ultimate tourist destination and have fun memories of showing our visiting relatives around Maui. I decided we will find time this week to be tourists and take advantage of the many amazing places nearby.

High on my list was spending some time in the mountains. I am a flower girl and have been eager to check out the springtime blooms in the Santa Ynez valley. We packed a picnic and headed inland and up the coast. Not only was I greeted by the rainbow of wildflowers pictured above but a

real life California rainbow:

Can you spot the pot of gold?

We pulled of the road a ton and I spent a lot of time crawling in the bushes photographing flowers and the otherworldly beauty around me. We both ran around in the misty rain admiring those romantic golden hills.

Just before sunset we settled in this lovely spot and enjoyed a picnic of crusty bread, spicy hummus, Greek salad, and sparkling apple cider. The temperature suddenly dropped so we huddled in the car as we watched the sun dip behind the hills.

This easy and simple outing reminded me of how changing things up a bit in my everyday existence can make me appreciate the life I've been given and the beauty that surrounds me even more. It also helped me remember how much fun I have with Andrew beyond the routine joys of domesticity.

How do you add *sparkle *to your life?

Officially Spring: Happy Vernal Equinox

Some celebratory coastal fog rolled in yesterday evening. See those misty palms? And that stately hawk perch?. I pruned the roses back to stumps in January and they are starting to bush out and bud up in anticipation of a colorful summer.

California Poppies--the state flower makes the hillsides turn orange in the springtime. I love the lacey pink-tipped foliage.

Brussel Sprout Boom: I can't quite tell when they're ready to harvest.

Crunchy Celery Patch. I ate some raw last night but I'm not sure what do with it besides ants-on-a-log and stuffing-making. Any ideas?

Months ago, I sprinkled some sweet alyssum seeds from older plants growing in the communal pathways. I'm rewarded with these white puffy flowers.

Sweet allysum close up. This South-Europe native looks delicate but is really very hardy.

I planted freesia bulbs (corms?) last fall which are supposed to do well in this Mediterranean-like climate. They are African natives with a clean, refreshing smell. Due to this wonderfully sweet scent they are frequently used in shampoos and body-lotions.

Best news of all: Andrew had his first follow up screening for cancer and has been declared healthy. The cancer center gave us some especially lovely daffodils for "daffodil days." Hooray!