Santa Barbara Again

We are on expedition this week, staying with my sis in Santa Barbara and attending Eileen's friend Sarah Dunant's presentations here for her book, "Sacred Hearts." The weather is showing off for the visiting Londoner; today is clear and sparkling, with views from the mountains to eternity. I just drove Sarah on The Tour, down through East Beach and on back across the Riviera, with a stop for a bakery break in town. More later with photos.

The Rains Came

.... and they are planning to stay for the season, it seems. This morning we woke to showers; so it will be an indoors day. Our deluge last week was a harbinger of a very wet El Nino season, apparently. That is fine, if it doesn't overdo.

We have a lovely at-home week ahead; and next Monday, we will be off for 10 days in Santa Barbara (for me) – and for John, 5 of those days will be in the East, visiting the Lamberts in Hoboken and Stella in CT.

Our first days in Santa Barbara will bring to town author Sarah Dunant, Leenie's good friend, who will be lecturing on her new book, "Sacred Hearts," at La Casa de Maria and the U of C/Santa Barbara's Department of Religious Studies. I was privileged to set these connections up for Sarah, and am very excited about meeting her at last and hearing her presentations.

When John goes East, I will have a weekend retreat at the Casa's guest house; then some time to spend with my sister and brother; and when John returns, a birthday celebration with my little sister – before we return home on November 6th.

Once we're home again, we hope to stay put for the rest of the winter season! We're going to host the West Coast Thanksgiving Dinner this year: siblings are coming up to Boulder Creek too, for that. So we'll settle in with plenty of logs for the wood stove, a larder well stocked with provender, and happy hearts.

Storm Warning

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BULLETIN,
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2009, 3:00 PM PST –

"HEAVY RAIN AND POTENTIALLY HIGH WINDS
EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY A SIGNIFICANT STORM
EXPECTED LATE MONDAY INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY...

A POTENT STORM SYSTEM...ESPECIALLY FOR OCTOBER
...WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
BEGINNING LATE MONDAY AND CONTINUING INTO EARLY
WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL BE A VERY DRAMATIC
CHANGE FROM THE TYPICAL LATE SUMMER PATTERN
THE AREA HAS BEEN
EXPERIENCING."

---------------------------------
So, dear friends, we are battening down our hatches much earlier than we expected to do. Last year our first big storm of the season came in right on target as predicted, on Halloween. We thought, "Fine, we have a month to get wood chopped and stacked, make sure the cottage and the Studio are watertight, cover and put away outdoor furniture, etc." But noooo!

Today we went out after church and ransacked all the Scotts Valley shopping center stores for provender and supplies, because up here at the top of our valley we are in danger of being marooned by falling trees and slippery or washed-out roadways. There is a strong possibility of electrical outage, so we've equipped ourselves with lots of candles and lanterns; our wooly sweaters are ready to don; and we've loaded in supples to keep ourselves afloat, happy and cozy, for several days.

Yes, it's rather exciting; and our neighbors are available and also well stocked; plus, they have generators, so we can call on them for help if things are rough for too long.

I'm off to put a pot-roast on to bake for dinner on this cool and overcast afternoon; tomorrow morning I'll make up a pot of soup to simmer on the back of the stove. We'll keep you posted, while we have internet access!

The Soule Party Pix

If anyone would like to see Mark's multiplicity of joint-birthday-party photos, let me know via email or via comment on this blog, and I'll send you a link.

Soule Sibs Selebrate Sixty & Seventy

We are off to Altadena this morning, for a little dinner party to mark John's 70th and Marie's 60th birthdays – both just past. Leesaah is hostessing; a couple of Marie's friends will be there, as well as the usual LA-area family members.

On Sunday John and I will drive northward, to one of the last unspoiled little beach towns on our coast, Cayucos – situated at the north end of Morro Bay and the beginning of the Big Sur. The hamlet has an old but serviceable hotel right on the water's edge, and one of the finest restaurants anywhere on the California coast, Hoppe's Garden Bistro – where we'll have dinner Sunday evening to celebrate the eve of my dear one's landmark birthday. On the natal day, we hope to make our leisurely way up that spectacular Highway 1 to Boulder Creek.

So by the evening of October 5th we should be gratefully back at home.