Easter Glory

On Easter, our friends picked us up in their fast sports car and we headed out for scenic Sunday drive in the mountains. We went on Figueroa Mountain Drive, a route known for it's spectacular wildflowers. I mentioned this colorful spot before, but we hadn't seen it in full show-off mode. This part of California is appropriately nicknamed "God's Canvas."

The view up.

A close up of the lupine and poppy frenzy.

After our picnic on the mountain top we went down a canyon and hiked along a stream where there was an old chromium mine. We came across this super old-school car in the middle of nowhere:

Upon further examination, we noticed a fascinating detail:

Look what's snoozing under the steering wheel!
I am seriously grateful for my zoom lens.

Our pals had an awesome guide to Santa Barbara's wildflowers. I munched on this Miner's Lettuce, which is prolific in shady spots. It was a popular snack for the Chumash Indians and pioneers (and miners I assume).

A hillside decorated with purple Fiesta Flowers.

From the car window: The California hills framed by wild (invasive) mustard.

I grilled up a platter of farmer's market and garden veggies and we ended the evening at a lovely potluck with friends and neighbors. Three picnic tables pushed together, a pink tablecloth, flowers from the garden, candlelight made for a beautiful meal al fresco.

Roses are Yellow

Today was hot. The tomatoes and squash plants are inches bigger each time I check on them, but it is the bounty of roses that thrill me. Now that serious bloomage has started, my house (and garden teaparties) will be prettier than ever.

A and I finally broke in the 8 ft board peaking into the background. We got away with paddling around sans wetsuits. It was surprisingly not-too-cold, though getting tangled in the kelp beds was a different matter.

Photoshopping and other Skillz

I'm taking a photoshop class. I don't have any skill yet but I suddenly have the confidence to play around a bit. Check out Street Surfah: my athletic sis carving down our street at home on Maui. I hope to learn a lot more important stuff like how to erase pimples and double chins. On day one we had a session on how to save a file, so I'm keeping up so far.

I'm also taking sewing. I made a pillow case out of scraps (for a pillow shape I do not own) and am planning to make a quilt out of a kit a friend gave me. It is a class full of experienced people (mainly elderly women) and I'm the one in the corner learning pin vs. needle and surger vs. sewing machine. I am hoping the communal expertise will rub off.

And I'm in drawing! I'm a life long doodler from a family of artists (and a poster contest winner way back in second grade) so I am really excited by this prospect. My skills haven't progressed much beyond that elementary school level so I'm excited to learn more. I love that drawing is so fundamental (and complimentary ) to other art forms. My first class made me confident enough to carve a design into the bowl I made in ceramics yesterday. Plus, the materials are a helluva lot cheaper than oil painting.

I look forward to posting pictures on here of things that turn out decently. Stay tuned!

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.

I Believe in Tea

If you are cold, tea will warm you.
If you are too heated, it will cool you.
If you are depressed, it will cheer you.
If you are excited, it will calm you.
~Gladstone, 1865

I grew up with this teapot in our kitchen. Some of my earliest memories, and photographs, are of "tea parties" with dolls and stuffed animals. As a kid I loved it when my mom served us up Sleepytime tea with honey, as I admired the cozy bear on the box.

In college I regularly sat and sipped tea with one of my roommates who came from Japan. A hot cup of tea works like magic...and the day's stresses melt away. Putting the tea on has been a daily ritual ever since.

We go through boxes of dried herbal teas mighty quick around here, so I thought I'd put my herb garden to work instead.

I gathered and dried some lemon balm, or melissa. Smells sooo citrusy-fresh and works well in flower arrangements. Throughout history it had a reputation for promoting longevity. It has been used as remedy in everything from lowering blood-pressure to headaches, depression, colds and the flu. The leaves can also be applied to insect bites.

I don't like the way fresh mint tastes as tea, it suits me a lot better when dried. Mint grows wild in all the garden paths. I'm not sure what variety this is but I might splurge on a peppermint plant some day soon.

'Tis the season for sun tea. If you wanna get your hippie on, try this stove free method. Much better than the store-bought sugared-out bottle variety.

Tonight I picked a handful of chamomile flowers and brewed them with some hot water. So relaxing.

It's also supposed to make a great hair rinse for blonds...but I'll have to try that another time. Now that I'm hyper-aware of what's in everything, I have been interested in making shampoo. Future blog post, perhaps?

What's your favorite type of tea?
How do you *chillax*?

This is LA: Daytripping to La-La Land

This ain't no disco
It ain't no country club either
This is LA!
-Sheryl Crow

During our staycation we headed south to Los Angeles for a day. LA is relatively close but feels worlds away from Santa Barbara's open spaces and focused aesthetic value. I'm not really down with commercialized concrete or into cars and crowds, but I want to like LA. I do appreciate LA's quirkiness and diversity and my dear friends who live there.

One of my good friends from growing up on Maui, is expecting a baby boy very soon. We attended her co-ed baby shower (love that trend!) and saw her radiantly healthy and her and her husband surrounded by love and community. It just does my heart good when people who will be wonderful parents decide to bring life into the world. All my studies of human development and learning theories make me seriously fret over the unloved/uncared for babies of the world. In contrast, I get celebratory joy when loving, responsible people take on the challenge of parenting with purpose and pleasure.

Grown Up: Lovely momma-to-be Larissa. And me.

After that good time, Andrew and I returned a mattress to Ikea. I am forever grateful that he is more patient than I am when it comes to long lines, crowds, and windowless box stores (and most other things). LA has so many more shopping options (duh). Santa Barbara doesn't even have a Target!

We also got to see Andrew's little sister and her husband in their new place in Venice. It is cool to see them independent and taking on a new city and lifestyle with gusto. They made us a labor-intensive and decidedly-delicious dinner of pasta arabiata. Their new place is simply adorable and everything they hoped for (plus, Fiona Apple is a neighbor). I got a kick out of their (other) neighbor's curious cat watching us from a window:

I really had a wonderful visit to Los Angeles. Before long, I hope to meet Larissa's freshly hatched baby and explore more of the Venice area in the daylight.

What do you love or hate about LA?

California Coastal Ramblings

The weather has been decidedly warmer, the kind that makes you break out your shorts and tanks and want to be near the water. It's always a few degrees cooler along the coast which made this 5 mile round trip walk between two of my favorite beach especially pleasurable. A few highlights:

*I got a kick out of the old-school glass insulators on the electric poles. I know collectors go nuts for those things.

*When I first moved here, I was hugely surprised by how much pristine coastline is undeveloped in California. I feel fortunate it's so nearby.

*Multi-hued nasturtium flowers have naturalized in the bushes along the coast. I love their peppery taste and vivid patterns.

*We watched a pod of dolphins sun themselves and play in the ocean.

*Wildflowers are still blooming and the hills are still more green than brown.

*Bells mark El Camino Real, The King's Highway, (along the 101) which was originally established by the Franciscan as a footpath between Missions.