Christmas was spent with Carol, George, Michael and Ariana in Palm Desert. I can't believe I failed to take one picture of any of them over the holidays! However, we did have a wonderful time. Bob and I spent a week in the RV staying in Palm Springs, and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Carol and George's house. Was cold by Palm Springs standards, but I didn't mind it as it felt a lot more like Christmas bundled in a coat and scarf! Carol cooked up some wonderful dinners and it was really nice to be together.

Michael and Ariana are expecting a baby girl in January and Ariana is READY for baby to come. She is a tiny gal and baby has added almost a third to her weight. Sleeping comfortably seems out of the question. They are both working on music scores for two different films and it's exciting to see them moving forward with their music. Was a good visit.

I did take a photo of the Marilyn Monroe statue erected in downtown Palm Springs. It is VERY TALL and seems to fit right in near all the Sidewalk Stars of famous desert entertainers. Bob and Bentley were dwarfed by her size.

Was a fun and relaxing way to wind up the year.

Hope all my friends and family across the country enjoyed their Thanksgiving as much as we did. We were fortunate enough to be invited to our friends, Christel and Armin, to join them this year. We enjoyed our first deep fried turkey and of course all the trimmings one could want. They are great hosts and really know how to make people feel comfortable in their home. I didn't want to leave, yet I knew dear Bentley awaits his dinner . . .

Love the change in weather and the approach of Fall, such as it is here in San Diego. Puts me in a great mood. With the "renewal" comes a determination to eat better; and in that spirit, decided to make my "healthy food" even more fun to eat in the morning. So, come on in and join me for breakfast!

September flew by at our house, then early October brought a visit from Julie and the boys. Ian and Jack had their first "visit to the beach!" and loved it. We also went to Scripps Aquarium, Santee Lakes, and Zoofari Park. Was a really fun time for all of us.

I'm so proud of my hometown! They decided to salute our Hometown Heroes with banners hung on the streets of downtown. For $200 to cover the cost of the banner, families, friends and/or supporters of our military could have a banner made honoring a member of the military, past or present. These are just a couple shots of the many banners around town. They went up for the 4th of July, and I'm not sure how long they will remain. I think it's a wonderful idea!

We've been on the road most of the month of July and had another great trip in the RV. We spent a couple weeks in Lake Tahoe and another week or so going and coming from San Diego.

This is the first time we took Bentley on an extended trip and he was a peach. However we were with him 24/7 for 22 days, and that's JUST WHAT MAKES HIM HAPPY! Having a dog with us posed limitations, but fortunately Tahoe is a dog-friendly place. Lots of restaurants with outside patios, so dogs were always welcome there.

Had a fun visit with Bob's sister Betty Ann and her husband Bob on the way home. She has moved full time to Apple Valley and is getting settled in. It's a big change for the "beach girl" but I bet she'll map in just fine.

Saw a recipe in an English edition of a home and lifestyle magazine (sorry I forgot the name), and both the picture and the recipe drew me in. So, I made it the other night and I like it. I lightly toast a slice under the broiler and pat on a little butter . . . yum.

Honey, Sultana and Pecan Tea Bread

This is a moist and crumbly tea bread enriched with honey, mixed spice and the aromatic flavors of Earl Grey tea. This cake will become firmer with time and stores well for up to five days in an airtight container. Serves 10

7 oz. golden raisins (sultanas)
200 ml freshly brewed Earl Grey Tea
5 T softened butter, plus extra to grease pan
½ C (generous) packed light brown sugar
2 T honey
2 medium eggs
1 ½ C self-rising flour, sifted
1 level teaspoon allspice
½ C (generous) course chopped pecans

Put the sultanas (golden raisins) in a bowl with the tea and leave to soak overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees; grease and line a 8x4x3 loaf tin* with grease-proof paper.
Whisk together the butter, sugar and honey. Gradually add the eggs, then fold in the flour, allspice, pecans and soaked raisins with any extra tea.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the tin, then slice and serve.

Source: English edition of a home and lifestyle magazine (sorry I forgot the name) citing Fortnum & Mason Earl Grey Tea recipe; I made the unit of measurement conversions as best I could, thus the “generous” notes.
*could use a 9x5x3 and shorten baking time slightly

  

Had a fun day yesterday at the Little Italy Art Walk in downtown San Diego. It's so colorful in Little Italy, and even more so right now with all the trees and flowers in bloom. I especially like this shot of the pastel buildings across the street reflecting onto one of the high-rise apartment buildings, and then the tent canopies of the artists booths below. It was a gorgeous day weather-wise and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Bought myself just a small piece of pottery to hold a few cut flowers from the yard.

My goal is that by next year Bentley will be trained enough to walk easily with me around the 13 blocks of the Art Walk. Lots of people had their dogs with them . . . maybe next year.

We spent three nights and four fun days at Santee Lakes here in the San Diego area. We were able to reserve our most favorite RV spot right by the babbling brook and were lucky enough to have no neighbors on either side, so was especialy spacious for us (and Bentley).

Our friends Christel and Armin joined us for burgers one night. They lavished us with flowers, cheese appetizers, homemade cookies and wine--they're welcome any time! We had some fun conversation around a nice little fire in the evening.

Was a great getaway

Took this picture of Bentley yesterday and love how handsome he looks! He's turning into a good boy . . . slowly but surely; very slowly . . . but surely.

What a treat to have Julie and the grandkids (Ian and Jack) here for a visit for a few days. The weather has been up and down these last few weeks, but fortunately we had a perfect day for Sea World. The Shamu show was a highlight, and so was the Journey to Atlantis roller coaster/water slide ride. The Penquin Encounter made for some good "Artic" pics. We played cards and dominoes and generally just had a good time the rest of the visit. Time goes by fast, but we're so glad they came.

 


I'm still reeling from the news of Monday, February 27, 2012. My beautiful, serene, wholesome little town of Chardon, Ohio has forever changed. My alma mater, Chardon High School, the scene of such horrific tragedy will never be quite the same for all of us who had attended and will attend in the future. My thoughts and prayers go out for the victims and their families, and for all the residents of Chardon.

One thing I know for sure. The people of Chardon have strong roots; the town will recover and continue to be a model for what is good and valued in America.

Can it really be almost the end of January 2012! The last few months seemed to fly by! We enjoyed our Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, our 37th wedding anniversary and my hmmhmmth birthday . . . we went camping for a few days here locally at Santee Lakes . . . we refurbished and re-rented our rental house . . . and oh yes, Bentley is still Bentley, driving us crazy (but loveable nonetheless).

Bob continues as a Sr. Volunteer for the Fire Department, entering his 5th year. I'm still volunteering as a Friend of the Library and we were treated to a nice luncheon this week for our efforts last year. We raised around $75,000 for the library through sales in our Book Shop. Not bad for books that start at 25 cents and rarely sell for more than $4.00!

Sending out best wishes for this New Year. For the first time ever I didn't send Christmas cards, forgive me my friends, but I do think of you often.