Next?

Our second round of springtime visitors is in residence at Hazel Brake Cottage; Dave, Kathy and Rowan arrived on Monday morning.  

In keeping with ancient tradition, all guests are met at the Crossroads in the village – usually in the Rainbow's End coffeehouse, where we begin the gathering with a fine cup of java, sometimes to music from our ancient local bard.  Rainbow has a large room in the back with windows overlooking the creek and a fine collection of toys large and small for toddlers; Rowan had a chance to frolic and work off some pent-up steam, after the long trip to California from New Jersey, while the grownups began the chat-a-thon.

Monday afternoon was spent in acclimatizing and settling in; and once Rowan was fed and bathed and into Dreamland, the four of us feasted on a lovely meal of Renaissance Venison Ragout, crusty bread, and a big avocado salad..... and it was off to Dreamland for us, too.

Yesterday was Tuesday, and after Rowan's early-afternoon nap, I went with the guests (while John stayed home and made lists) for a drive down to the beach at Capitola Village, where the lad and dad played by the surf, and Souffle and I sat on a comfortable bench on the boardwalk and chatted.  Later, Julie, Bryan and Danny joined us from their home in nearby Seascape, and we had a grand time watching 13-year-old Cousin Danny teach 3-year-old Rowan how to ride a skateboard in true California Coastal style.  When Danny showed off his skate-style, Rowan was entranced, and watched with shining eyes, finally exclaiming loudly, "Holy cow!"  The grownups cracked up .....    I took my gang to early supper at a fine Mexican dive near the wharf (the best kind!) and Cousin Stephanie and her boyfriend Jaque joined us there for a while.

After that sea air and fun, we all slept deeply last night.

This morning, it has been Grandpa John's turn to tour-guide; he and the visitors are off on a jaunt to the beautiful Monterey Aquarium.  Granny Franny has stayed at the cottage to do some catching up (as here) and bake lemon cookies for everyone's delectation when they return this afternoon.

Tomorrow is Thursday: we'll have a day here in our beautiful woods, and will prepare for the visit in the evening from Joe, Kathie and Josh, who are stopping by for dinner and a visit on their way home from a few days of skiing in the Lake Tahoe area.  I'm going to try a new recipe, slow-cooking a piece of boneless pork in the Crock Pot and making pulled pork tacos for a buffet dinner for our eight eaters that evening.

Friday is the last day here for the Lamberts; we hope to take a picnic up to Big Basin State Park at midday, and then we must go out in the evening for a celebration/farewell/birthday dinner at the Tyrolean Inn.  Souffle noted that Friday night is "Wild Game Night" there, and we have to find out if this means some denizen of the forest will be our entree, or whether perhaps

we'll find a crazy game of bingo going on instead!  Watch this space for the answer ....

After-Words

Our brief but happy visit with Teri, Tris, and Al is (almost) over; they were here for two days, post-party, before heading south to Santa Barbara for the rest of the week.  I say "almost" because we hope to have a late lunch with them this Saturday as they travel back to SF Airport for departure in the evening.

Monday was misting drizzle for part of the day, but that didn't prevent the visitors from a short hike on one of the trails through Big Basin Redwoods; a taco lunch in the village of Felton;  and some lovely "sittin' on the deck" here in the sunnier late afternoon.  On Tuesday our sun came back, and we had more good visiting over a big breakfast here at the cottage; we took Tris down to Julie's area so he could spend an afternoon and overnight with Cousin Danny D; and then the grownups drove up Bear Creek Road for a tasting at a big mountain winery.  We finished with Italian champagne on our sunny deck, followed by a Guinness Beef Stew supper to celebrate St. Patrick's day.

Now ensue some quiet days of getting reorganized, rested, and ready for the Lamberts visit next week!

It's the first day of Spring, dear ones: emulate us, get out and smell the flowers! I'm going to have coffee on the deck this morning ..... see you later.

A Hot Time In The Old BrackenBrae Last Night

It's been drizzling rain this weekend, but that doesn't stop us northerners!

After our Saturday night trip down to Joe's to attend an Irish music concert in his area, we returned to the cottage Sunday to get ready for the Big Par-tay: Teri had requested a multi-birthday gathering on her arrival with Tris and Al this weekend, to celebrate everyone's natal day since God knows when.

Fourteen people arrived at our little cottage by Sunday afternoon.  They were Teri, Tris, and Al (Chace); Teri's best friend Barb, her husband Heru, and their three lovely kids; Joe (Kathie and Josh are in London); Julie and Bryan, Danny and Stef, and Steffie's boyfriend Jaque. 

We partied hearty – with lots of potluck food, a nice bit of beer and wine and sodas, and birthday cupcakes for dessert.  The four younger kids hung out in the big back bedroom, playing their own kind of crazy music on my piano and Tris's electronic keyboard thing that he brought along; the grownups gathered in the parlor for some fine jazz licks provided by our two guitarists (Al Chace and Barb's husband Heru) – and of course: lots of love and laughter.  We sang a group "Happy Birthday/Cha cha cha" song, and gave presents to the Birthday Kids, and told stories and laughed a lot.

Today it's so quiet! We went to breakfast this morning at our funky Rainbow's End cafe.  Now John has taken Teri, Tris and Al up to Big Basin State Park for a hike, and I'm blessedly alone here -- the post/party cleanup is done finally, and we're planning a quiet evening by the fire for the five of us, with a pasta supper and early bed.

I'm so glad to have Teri here, however briefly, and to meet Al; and Tris is a delightful house-guest.

Tomorrow we hope to get together with Julie, and Tris will stay overnight at her place to spend some time with Cousin Danny.

Wednesday morning Teri and Al will pick Tris up at Julie's and meet Joe at the Monterey Aquarium for a tour of that great spot – and then the visitors will drive down to Santa Barbara for a couple of days in the Southland.

On their way back to SFO, they hope to stop off somewhere near here (perhaps in the San Jose area) where we can meet them for an early supper, before their overnight flight back to the East Coast.

I'll try to keep you up on this visit over the next few days, so stay tuned.

P-Day

(That's "Party Day," folks. I am just sitting and waiting for 16 people to show up for dinner this evening.  Just sitting .... and waiting .... for I can do no more.  The food is cooked, the cupcakes frosted, the house as clean is it will ever get.  And I'm sitting and waiting, and thinking: I am so lucky, to have all these children and grandchildren and adopted children and adopted grandchildren (in this case, Teri's friends Barb and Heru and their kids) coming to spend some time with me.

I don't know if I'll have time during the next couple of weeks of visitations, to keep up with this blog; but I will try to enter something here every day – just for those of you who can't be here with us this time – to remind you of how important the occasional family reunions are.  They both honor and foster the great love that suffuses this clan – "the love that from our birth, over and around us lies."

Coming Home

It was very good for me to get away this past weekend, even to a God-forsaken place like Anaheim.  (Well, there was plenty of godliness at the Religious Education Congress, though – even if I didn't attend the sessions, I felt good about what happens there.)  Melissa and I did get to hear a dynamic, wonderful speaker named Jack Jezreel, who founded the national "JustFaith" program in which I participated a couple of years ago at Trinity in Santa Barbara, so I was not entirely boycotting the Catholic goings-on.  I also had a chance to meet again with two people with whom I worked at St. Mark's a few years ago – Fr. Joe Scott, and dear Shannon (who drove up from San Juan Capistrano just to have coffee with me).  I also had fun with my sister, and it was good to spend time with her and with my brother.

But it was wonderful to come home; we flew through stormy skies on the way to San Jose airport, but as we were landing I saw a gorgeous full-arc rainbow over the runway, welcoming me back.  

It's been rainy and cool since my return, as winters are here in the wooded hills; and I've had time to settle into my dear cottage again, catch up with John, and get back into a routine.  

We have a week and a half of quiet, now, before the influx of Spring visitors.  Then on March 15, it begins:  Teri, Tris and Al will be in Boulder Creek for three days, before driving down to Santa Barbara to visit there.  On March 23, the Lamberts Three arrive for a week's stay.  During the days just before Easter, we will be visitors ourselves, in Santa Barbara – we'll attend the Holy Week services on Thursday through Saturday at our beloved Trinity parish, and have Easter with my siblings; and will have a chance on Easter Monday to see Julie's gang and greet the Londoners at the Rincon Beach cottage – before returning to our home.  At the end of that post-Easter week, the Londoners come to Boulder Creek for four days!  So beginning in mid-March, our quiet time will be over for a while.

Today has been a kaleidoscope of storm and sun; at one point I gazed out the little window by my desk in the "Sanctuary" room and saw huge raindrops glittering like diamonds as the sun illumined the branches of the evergreens and highlighted the pale-pink blossoms on our flowering plum tree.  We are surrounded by beauty, and ever grateful.