Four holidays in one day

Valentines & Chinese New Year, all on the same weekend. Plus president's day plus Rabi'I. What a treat! And it brought a little bit of spring down to california.
the last couple days got into the upper 60's, which, after a dry weekend, inspired this clover like ground cover weed that is everywhere to shoot out little yellow flowers. I think I'm allergic to them.

Anway... some highlights of the weekend, per the pictures below:

After a bunch of traffic heading into SF made it, after dark, to a campground susan had found that had a dry platform for the tent and a dry sauna to relax in. we cooked asparagus and sausage over the campfire, drank some conundrum, then cooked some oysters over the fire. in the morning, a beautiful walk down to the beach of Ano Nuevo (an appropriate place for the holiday). meet our sea lion friend below. he was humongous. dew and tiny spider lines as we brewed coffee and watched the waves.

Then off to Big Basin to set up camp #2. On the way, U Pick kiwis off 101. The vines, bare of leaves now, started producing back in november so we figure the u pick is a just a good way to get the last hidden fruits off the trees. back and forth to the big trees of big basin a few times - 40 minutes through super windy roads and little 'hippie towns' (as described by someone giving us directions) - as we searched for food and entertainment in Santa Cruz. we slept in the car since the ground up there never dries out and we didn't have a tarp for under the tent. a little cramped, but safe from the raccoons. a short hike through big basin. we plotted longer hikes on 'skyline to sea' for later in the year, then back over hill and dale to Davis.

Rains are back this weekend. but time for projects, ideas, and plans for a coming year of adventures.

Here're some photos:

Mardi Gras is Over

Did you eat pancakes last night- if not you can try again today just to start the Easter season right. Remember that regardless of faith connections and differences, life is best celebrated each season and this season we are preparing for Spring.

In the northwest this year it is particularly easy to celebrate Spring preparations because of our mild weather. Monday I stepped into my new boots and began garden clean-up in earnest. I even broke out the chocolate garden soap to keep my grimy fingernails clean(ish). Today the sun is shining and I plan to head out to the vegetable garden for the first time, so this will be a short hello to all just to remind you to celebrate the moments of each season.

There are always good reasons to keep busy but don't make yourself too important in the universal scheme of things. You are responsible for putting your best self forward into the world but you can not control the outcome or response .

For Lent, let's all try to think more about bringing happiness into the world and less about self-sacrificing. I think there is enough imposed sacrifice and suffering right now to more that meet the requirement. The world, small and large, needs a reminder that fun still exists, people still laugh and we are all important.

As our Lenten preparations for Spring (which will come to the East coast someday), let us all make time to mail a card to a friend, call someone and chat for a moment, take a walk to clear our heads, go to bed early and, most of all, realize that happiness is the best preparation for the joy that is Spring. Being a good person is being happy and sharing your happiness so despite the occasional obstacles in our paths and the walls blocking our view to the future, make Lent the time to pronounce happiness as our goal and share it.

Mother Theresa is quoted as saying: We can do not great things- only small things with great love. Let's try doing some small things for others with love and joy.

Happy pancake dinners.
Love
Mama Llama

February Days of Rain

The A-frame is rented.

January is over and the first blush of hope of becoming a sparkling new human being with a scintillating new life of opportunities is slowing sliding back into the routine of gray rainy routines. What to do? It is that time of year when nothing seems to change or to be changeable but we only need to look back at the year 12 months past to see how much happened that we did not foresee.

It will all be unexpected in this year too, so right now I remind myself to just take one step at a time. I don't feel like getting out of bed- just do it and make a cup of coffee. I want to sit on the sofa with no idea how to proceed- just walk into the computer and solve ONE dilemma, answer one note to a friend; okay now the internet has sucked dry my mind.

Walk out and sit at the spinning wheel for a minute to finish one skein so the blanket on the loom can be finished. (Don't think about the 6 more to be done-that is depressing and irrelevant) Oh, I have a class with the Korean student this morning so I will have to get dressed out of sweats and into something acceptable because she dresses up for the meetings in jeans jacket, cute short dress with tights and black boots. I don't want to make her feel it is useless to put her best self forward to I guess I better get dressed. I will take her to Central Market to talk about what we find there and do grocery shopping at the same time.

Then when I get home I will make brownies (An article in the COOK'S has the secret to perfect brownies) so David will have lunch and dinner dessert and maybe make Pumpkin Soup for dinner and see how far that gets me. This day is moving along, as they do, and I feel a little more hopeful.

And so it goes...just take one step even when it doesn't feel like a step you want to take. No big insights just constant little efforts and we break out into the sunshine sooner than expected. My yoga teacher's departing words last night were particularly relevant although I can only share their essence as I have forgotten the exact words : Recognize the creative energy of the universe and see that your control is not part of its path. So, worry and anxiety really does not make success happen sooner! Just remember all the good things that happened unexpectedly and know they will continue to happen.

Keep on Walking!
Love,
Mama LLama