25 May 2006

A view from the top


A view from the top
Originally uploaded by foodchronicles.
Every year in June we make a pilgrimage. It is to The Lavender Farm in Valley Center. They have an annual Lavender fair each year.

This is a view from the top of their property. They have 9 acres planted and allow you to wander through all 9 acres, smelling and enjoying the beautiful flowers. They have other artisans come and show you neat things like harp music, beekeeping, a cooking with lavender demo and best of all - how they distill the lavender oil.

Someday, hopefully sooner than later, we will have our own lavender farm in Arizona. And then we'll have our annual festival and you'll all be invited!

New rows

New rows

Lavender

Old rows

Cart

Lavender cart

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23 May 2006

commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

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Time for Haloscan

I have been using blogger comments for a time now. I can't take the word verification thingie any longer. So I am adding haloscan comments to the site. I will unfortunately lose all the comments I have in blogger. So if you have a comment here know I have read them and appreciate all of them. Keep them coming! You just won't have to do a word scramble any longer! ;-)

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19 May 2006

SSSSpecially for you!

S'mee invited me to play ! Woohoo! She gave me the letter 'S'.

Here's how it works: If you wanna play too, let me know in the comments or send me an email and I'll assign you a letter. Then you write about 10 words that start with that letter that are important to you and explain why. Here it goes!

First I have to say I find it very interesting that she got the letter "B" and now I have the letter "S". Hmmmmm.

1. Solitude. I love being alone. Everyday I commute to work 20 miles. It gives me a chance to be alone and think. I even enjoy dining alone, shopping alone and working alone. It's good to be alone occosaionally, but I too, crave being with friends and family most.

2. Soliloquy. Shakespeare is a favorite of mine. This is my all time favorite soliloquy from Hamlet:

Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world: now could I drink hot blood,
And do such bitter business as the day
Would quake to look on. Soft! now to my mother.
O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever
The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom:
Let me be cruel, not unnatural:
I will speak daggers to her, but use none;
My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites;
How in my words soever she be shent,
To give them seals never, my soul, consent!

3. Sand, Surf and Sun. I am a beach brat. I grew up on the coast of Southern California. Spent more than my fair share of days at the beach. In high school, we would go to the beach every Saturday and get ourselves burned to a crisp. (can y'all say skin cancer???) We had too get burned so when we went to the Saturday night dances we'd look cool. The sun, sand and surf are now engrained in every fiber of my being. I drive to the beach at least once a month just to smell the salt air. It has a calming effect like nothing else.

5. Surf and Turf. My favorite dinner. Lobster and a Porterhouse or Rib Eye Steak. The steak must be cooked medium rare. Some people have told me if I'd just throw the steak on the ground and let it graze a bit it would probably come back to life. Heh. Still my favorite meal. I think between it and Salmon I probably wouldn't ever want anything else. Except....

6. Semi-sweet chocolate. The more the better. I used to be a milk chocolate lover. Don't get me wrong, I still love it. However, if there is a good 72% around, that gets eaten first. Usually with a few pecans.

7. Simplicity. Many people find pleasure in the abstract, difficult and intellectual. While a good read and plenty of alone time thinking goes on in my life, there is nothing better than simplicity. There are some things that just don't need reinventing, such as, a good homemade pie, crisp sheets line dried, a well written letter in the mail, a crisp apple, peanut butter on celery, an a-line skirt.

8. Scriptures. Therein lies great truth. I have recently been reading the book Fire in the Bones by Michael Wilcox. It chronicles the life of William Tyndale, the primary translator of the english version of the bible. It is amazing to me the constant threat of life to him and others to bring forth the scriptures to our native tongue. His work laid the foundation for a young plowboy to inquire of God after studying the New Testament. The martyrs of old demand our respect, and I will be grateful for the opportunity to thank Mr. Tyndale someday.

A favorite scripture: Alma 37:6

    Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

9. Stars. Not celebrities. Stars. Alpha Centauri, Orion, Ursa Major and Minor, The Pleaides. For years and years and years, I have known to look to the sky and marvel at the wonders of God. We are such fortunate beings to live in this universe. The big guy and I have spent more hours than I can count together in the darkness of night looking up to the sky. I even saw a meteorite once in the daytime. It streaked acorss the sky, a bright orange ball of flames, quickly entering our atmosphere and falling to earth. We are going to spend some time looking for meteorites on the property in Arizona.

10. Sisters. I have two. Well three, one died at birth. I also am the mother of three sisters, and I can't think of any greater people to spend time with. There is a bond between us that transcends time and space. One sister I see all the time. The other I miss terribly, and haven't seen in about ten years. I love that we could all get together and laugh and have a great time no matter where we are or what is going on. I share a family resemblance, however, they look like twins at times. I am odd man out until you get to the ankles. Bingo! Now we have a genetic path!

There are still many things to say about tthe letter S. A MINI Cooper S is another favorite, even if I own a Cooper and not an S. A good Sandwich like a Howard's special. The word special and what it means to us.(inside joke, no explanation given), Sunday mornings with their quiet time and wonderful breakfasts, silly jokes.
The only one I can ever remember: Why don't cannibals eat clowns? give up?
Because they taste funny!

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14 May 2006

For Mother's Day

Before I was a Mom -

I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.
Before I was a Mom -I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom-
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Spit on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child
So that doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
(author unknown)


I just want to say thank you to my daughters for allowing me to be their mom. After three years of marriage my husband talked me into having a baby. If I had been given the choice I probably would have waited longer. I have never regretted it.

You guys have let me be your mom. You're wonderful. I've goofed it up sometimes, not had the patience I needed, burned more than one pan of corn. Yes, corn! Invited a buzzkill to a few functions and yet you still love me and I love you.

Thank you for being my friends now too!

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12 May 2006

Okay okay, I'll post a meme

My sis has given me a task. She must know I have been a real schlum in blogging lately. ;-)

Her meme is a same/same meme. Heh. Now that's funny! Seriously, though she wants me to answer these simple questions and I'll comply...

1. Name a trait you share with your parents or children. Parents - those same old ugly calves! I am English by birth and I have inherited every English woman's nightmare calves. I don't have ankles and no matter how much or little I weigh, these calves are the largest part of my anatomy in ratio to others. Ugh.

My offspring? Well, we are all pretty. No I didn't mean that, I meant we're all pretty silly. We enjoy laughing and kind find something to get us giggling and having fun. And we all love to sing in the car while driving.

2. How would you describe your personal comfort zone? Personal comfort zone, eh? Hmmmm. I am pretty cool in public as long as you don't touch me. If I want to be touched I'll initiate thank you. Other than that, chocolate is a must everyday. Also, I don't know how people live without hot water. An ocean breeze on at least a monthly basis is a personal requirement also.

3. What's the best advice you've been given, but didn't heed? Well, the worst advice we heeded was from a well respected indivdual in my life when we got married, was not to buy a house right away. This was in the mid 70s. Well we didn't and have regretted it ever since. Good advice I haven't heeded, there are so many I can't even begin to enumerate. I have learned everything the hard way. But again I like learning lessons.

4. Do you like your handwriting? I like mine when I am doing a lot of it. Howewver, computers have allowed me to drop writing versus email etc. So my handwriting has suffered consequently. I have never been able to create masterpieces using a check for a canvas like my little sis, but hey we can't all be artists!

So if by chance you stumble upon this thread, give us a peek inside you too!

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