California Dreaming

Was I dreaming, or were we really in California just a couple of days ago? Was the sun even feeling warm on my skin, and was I wishing that I had remembered the tucked away sunglasses back in Cambridge (where nobody wears sunglasses)?

As I write, the temperatures are dropping steadily outside. The forecast calls for a bitterly cold Thursday. The highs will be in single digits (I think they are predicting 9F), and that is without wind-chill.

But what would life be without a little harshness? How could we appreciate the temperate and beautiful climate and sceneries and life in California if that type of thing exists everywhere? We will bundle up tomorrow, face the cold, close our eyes, and imagine the California sun on our skin, and smell the intensely aromatic lavender and rosemary scent in the air. Our fellow Bostonians will wonder why we will be smiling despite the harshness all around. Only if they knew that we will be California - dreaming, would they understand.

Happy New Year!

Revived by our recent visit to Sonoma, California (colors! life!), I am ready for the New Year! Like the last, 2008 is promising to be full of adventures! Here's to another great year for our families and friends!

California days

It is as though we had a long deep sleep with a dream that we were in New England. Being back here after seven months away has been wonderful! Though the locals are not too happy with the apparent 'cold spell', we are quite enjoying the mild temperatures ourselves.

How lucky that we get to take a break from the cold harsh winter back in Boston, only if it's for a few days. I feel revived to see plants growing, flowers blooming, birds chirping. The kids are ecstatic to be able to play outside, barefoot even.

We will savor these next few days before going back to celebrate the New Year, perhaps in a snow storm.

Christmas Eve

We break the rules every now and then around here. We let the children open some Christmas presents this morning - Christmas Eve. It was partly to help them digest it all slowly, or as slowly as they can. A lot of presents in one sitting is a lot for the little people. And plus, the three of us are heading West tomorrow, so we thought they could enjoy some presents today.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I probably will not be blogging from California. But I sure will have lots of photos and stories to share when we return on New Year's eve!

The Nutcracker

It is now our family tradition, to go to the Nutcracker Ballet around Christmas time each year. We started taking the kids when they were barely two years old, in Santa Cruz. We did it last year, and this year is no different. Well, except that the kids got to go back stage, hug the bear and the mice, and shake hands with the ballerinas!

As part of Jim's fellowship, he is sometimes the doctor to the Boston Ballet company. So tonight was one of the nights that he 'worked' at the Ballet performance, and he brought his little family with him. Because he only gets two tickets per show, the kids took turns being backstage with him, and I got to sit in the audience the whole time with one child. I have seen the performance numerous times now, before and after having children. It sure is different to watch it through their eyes. Asked what was their favorite part of the performance, Claire answered without hesitation: "The mice, Mommy, the little mice - they are sooooooooo cute!"

A difference of a year

If you have forgotten (or never knew) what our life used to be like, you can click here to see where we were exactly a year ago! Quite different, isn't it? Just a little 'home-sick' today...

By the by, happy winter! Hasn't it been winter for a long time?

Snowman

Our first snowman of the season came to life today! He even has a friend: snowbear. Nobody expected quite so much snow today, but here we are, another few inches of white powdery stuff on top of the brown ice and slush of the other day.

Is there any question about white Christmas this year? Actually, it's supposed to be quite warm in a few days, so we will see how much melting will happen. For now, our snowman and snowbear are cold and happy in this winter wonderland.

Cheese Article in Lincoln Journal

Today in The Lincoln Journal, you can read my article on mozzarella cheese! As some of you have read in previous posts, I got to spend sometime with the cheesemaker, watching her make these delicious mozzarella balls from start to finish. I have some future assignments, so I will keep you posted on what is next! PS: it's still snowing outside!

Icicles

As promised, here are some photos of these beautiful, though dangerous frozen water! The kids are fascinated by them, wanting to eat each one. The one good thing about seeing these icicles is the reassurance that Global Warming is not quite a daily phenomenon...yet.

Ice and Beach

First time experiencing 'ice' in Santa Cruz. March 2006

Beach in winter. Also 2006

Yesterday was snow. Today was ice. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera with me for fear that if I focused on taking photographs today, there may have been major accidents related to the ice itself! Perhaps tomorrow I will get a chance to show you some icicles...

But for the fun of it, here are some photos from the past! I would be lying if I told you that we (all) are not yearning for the (temperate) California winter!

Snowed In

Snow again? Isn't there something else I can write about? Nope. Not really. That's pretty much our life right now. And it looks like it's going to be this way for a long while!

Luckily, we will get a break from it next week when we go to Sonoma, California! I am saving my excitement over that until we are safely in the air, heading directly West, away from any further possible snow storms.

But for now, we are snowed in. We got out this morning to play before the snow turned into sleet. And now it's more like rain - rain on a whole lot of snow. Enough said. Our kids were crying for Natural Bridges Beach! We don't blame them!

MORE SNOW!

No snow day. Not sure why. But we found a way to have fun with snow regardless. We got almost a foot of snow, and we hear there is more to come tomorrow night! I hope you are enjoying these photos from somewhere warm!

SNOW!

It's snowing as I write. The kids got to enjoy the snow on the way home from school. They liked to catch the flakes with their tongues, or licking the new blanket covering everything around us.


We are inside for a bit to warm up and we will go out again when there is even more snow to play with. We are supposed to get 4-8" today. Or maybe 9 or 10" as the meteorologist predicted last night.

Who really knows? There might even be a 'snow day' tomorrow! I haven't had one of those in 12 years. And this time it won't mean no classes for me...!

Our Tree

A christmas tree is one of those things that needs to be experienced in person to really appreciate its beauty. I tried to take a picture of the whole tree, but none came out quite right. I can assure you that our tree this year is pretty, and unlike the previous years, it's actually not a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

It's a real Balsam Fir from Nova Scotia, just about 5 feet tall, with lots of branches for ornaments. The kids and I picked it out the other day after the night of freezing rain. Each needle was encased in ice, so when we took it home, there was a pool of water underneath the tree after it thawed. We really are not in California anymore (after all these months, am I still in denial?)!

Momo and Claire helped me decorate the tree with old and new ornaments, some of which were made by me and the kids last year. We surprised Jim with it all lit up when he got home that night. Though born and raised a Buddhist, there is a special place in my heart for Christmas trees!