Sonoma

A quick visit to Sonoma reassured us that we have indeed returned to California: the deep blue sky, ripening fruits on the trees, grapes on the vines, the smell of the eucalyptus grove at Jack London State Park where the kids went lizard hunting!

The Beach

We woke up to the usual foggy summer morning in Santa Cruz.  Regardless, the children begged to go to the beach.  And why not? With our schedule wide open, we could do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted.  So to the beach we went.

There was one man on the beach, conversing with mother nature and practicing tai chi.  Ah, to be back in the land of all things alternative, I thought! 

It was not warm at the beach, and we were not well dressed (the only fall back to traveling light) for the cool temperature.  But the kids were too excited to care.  They looked for treasures, yearned to explore, and were thrilled to be free. 

We traversed a small estuary that ran into the ocean, and followed a foot-path to a washed up log.  A great blue heron flew by, so elegantly and quietly.  Both children gasped in amazement, and reminisced about our beloved Blue Heron farm back in Massachusetts.

The sun emerged later in the morning, just in time for us to swim in the pool, and frolicked with friends.  It was another perfect day to be back in Santa Cruz.

Back Home

UCSC farm

Best Friends

Looking at the lizard at the farm

It is a strange feeling, indeed, to be 'home' but not in one's own home. We have a few months yet to be able to get into a place we can call our own. But yet when we look about us, we are, in fact, home.

The glorious California sun greeted us as we landed in the sunshine state yesterday, and it seems as though it is here to stay! Within 24 hours of our arrival, we have already visited some our favorite spots: the bountiful farmers' market that reminded me of my love for this area, the UCSC farm where our children first learned about nature, the neighborhood playground in which our children played and progressed.

In some ways, it feels like we never left. And in many ways, it feels like we were gone for a long long time. Our children did a lot of growing in New England this past year: they perfected their speech, they learned about the extreme seasons, they became more independent, they made lots of friends, and don't forget - they learned how to swim!

So we return with more life, more maturity, as individuals as well as a family. What a year it was!

Michigan

Who would have thought that I would get to see the sculptures of Rodin and Degas in Michigan? And that seeing such beautiful work of art was just a small highlight of our few days in this midwestern state!

We had a lot of fun during our stay in Michigan, to say the least. Visiting the grandparents and our good friends made up for the long drive we did from Massachusetts. The kids did some more (real) fishing this time, and there were many fun and fond memories that will stay with us for a long time.

I am happy to say that we are now safe and sound in California! Many more stories and photographs to come, but for now, I must end this very long day on a nice soft pillow...

The Finger Lakes

We have been visiting relatives in upstate New York. The lakes are beautiful here, but it is clear that we are no longer in New England. The houses look different, the topography has changed, even people talk with a slight accent here.

The kids went kayaking for the first time on Lake Conesus. They are enjoying many new experiences and adventures as we traverse the country.

Tomorrow, we cross over to Canada, via Niagara Falls, into Michigan. More friends and families to see before we fly back to California next week.

Vermont living

We said goodbye to Cambridge and many dear friends, and are now on the road, heading West. Our first stop was Bennington, Vermont, where our friends live on a pristine piece of land just down the street from one of the infamous Vermont covered bridges. We camped in their upper 'yard' and lived the country life for a couple of days with lots of swimming, fishing, and eating from the garden. Our son was in newt-heaven, and our daughter had many girls to play with (her kind of heaven).

Thanks, Randy and Amy for hosting us, and for a wonderful stay. It will be a while before we return to New England, but return we will!

More Swimming

More swimming today at Walden - perhaps the last time before we depart for thunderstorms are expected for tomorrow. Our daughter has improved significantly in the last few days. And as for the man, he is already coming up with his own moves!

Claire Swims!

Just a week later, our Claire Bear is now swimming, too!
She, too, can say that she learned how to swim at Walden Pond...a place that we will always hold dear and near to our hearts!

Unlike her brother, who dares to be in the deeper water, Claire still feels most comfortable in the shallower end. Regardless, she has come so far, so fast. We are very proud of her!

Momo Swims!

Our little swimmer learned how to swim 5 days ago at Walden Pond. And we are astounded at how well he is doing! Proud parents, we are.

Farm Dinner

One of the lasting memories we will always cherish from our year here is the farm and all its glory. Tonight, we got to celebrate with our friends with food straight from where it is grown.  It was delicious and memorable.  I do hope our children realize how special it was for them to have had the farm as their playground for the year.  Perhaps we can return for an another mid summer's Farm Dinner some day!

Drawing by Claire

Our family as illustrated by our daughter
July, 2008

And no... we don't go around wearing crowns in real life...

Currants

We saw these today at Codman Farm. Red Currants bring back memories of my time in Eastern France, when my host family took me to a garden overflowing with these tart berries. We picked them and my host mother made jelly - confiture - for breakfast. Fresh French Baguette and a little bit of the jelly: delicious!

Peas

Momo and I picked these today at the farm while Claire had a playdate with her friend Julia. Aren't they so pretty? And delicious, too, I might add.

Summery Saturday

Me taking a photo, taken by my daughter!

When the weather is good here, there is so much to do! We returned to the Rose Garden in the morning where the kids practiced taking photographs of flowers (guess who inspired them!). Then we spent the afternoon at Blue Heron Farm. After hunting for bugs and butterflies, the kids decided it was time for mud! They had a great time rubbing themselves with the brown natural skin care.

Happy summer solstice - the longest day of the year!

New Addition

I have lost count of all the species of life that have come and gone through our apartment. Here is the newest one: a toad! We will release him soon since we can't provide him with live bugs for food... Cute, though, isn't he?

Gift from the farm

Almost like standing in the middle of the field, full of poppies, in southern France....
Only if the Euro wasn't so outrageously expensive, we could be there. Thanks to Farmer Ellery, we have some poppies with which we can day-dream.

First Harvest

cabbage

snow peas

radishes

garlic scape

Our little garden at Drumlin Farm gave us our first harvest today: radishes! We had not been back in a few weeks, and lo and behold, everything was thriving and growing so fast we could hardly remember our little plot.

The kids had never tasted radishes before, and had some tonight in our salad. They were thrilled to pull the plump red and white bulbs from the dirt, realizing their own efforts several weeks back.

We look forward to more goodies from the earth before our trip out West.

The Rose Garden

Free to the public, the Rose Garden in Boston is an urban sanctuary for anyone interested in learning about and smelling hundreds of different kinds of roses. Some of the roses have familiar names like "Double Delight" and "New Dawn" while others are a bit more customized like "Julia Child" and "Othelia" (Claire's favorite).

Pink, yellow, white, violet, peach, deep red, magenta, lilac - you name the color, we probably saw roses in that color today. The Rose Garden is definitely one of the hidden gems of Bean Town.

Summer Evening

We strolled into Harvard Square for Herrell's ice cream with their famous hot fudge sauce tonight: the best of all possible summer nights. The air was still warm, and dry, and the early evening sun touched the beautiful roses to celebrate all the great things that come with the season!