This is a post I didn’t expect to be writing tonight. For several years we’ve had a wonderful woman come in every other week to clean our house. She does a fabulous job, and even though I thought it an extravagance when she first started coming, soon after I never wanted to lose her. Today, we found out that she has decided to no longer clean houses. Continue reading
Today I finished the polka dot curly scarf I have been knitting. This little friend was the only one I could find to model my project. It has been so hot the past few weeks, that wearing a scarf is the last thing anyone wants to do.
Today was different though, and we woke to a cool, cloudy morning. It was a wonderful change and I went out to the yard to transplant marigolds. It felt so good to be outside in the cool air.
After breakfast we went for a scooter ride to Newport Beach. I think the cloudy morning had discouraged beach goers and traffic was very light as we traveled along Pacific Coast Highway. We stopped for lunch at the Crystal Cove shopping center and it too was amazingly quiet. The sudden change of weather is very welcome, and long overdue. Once home, I got to work and finished the scarf. 
Right now I am looking forward to fall, but I have a feeling, in just a few weeks I will be looking for summer weather again.
This semester I’m taking a class in beginning digital photography. One of the homework assignments was to photograph a sunset. The first two evenings, I got so busy, I forgot to go outside and look. On the 3rd day, I actually set an alarm to remind myself to head out into the backyard with my camera, at the appropriate time. Looking over our back wall, I realized that I had never really looked at a sunset. It was lovely and I got a few good shots, but not as colorful as I had hoped. The next evening my husband and I climbed a near by trail just before the sun went down and were rewarded with a beautiufl view of a breathtaking sunset. The class assignment had turned into a very enjoyable experience that included a lovely walk with Martin.
The second assignment was to take an action shot. I chose the ocean water moving over rocks at Dana Point Harbor. Again, something I had never really taken the time to observe closely.
When I registered for the class, my motive was to learn to take better photographs. What I didn’t realize, was just how many beautiful subjects there are to photograph, when we slow down enough to look around and really see. I hope to improve my skills, but even if I don’t, I have learned a valuable life lesson. I find myself constantly looking for the perfect subject for my next photo, and this alone has taught me to appreciate the beauty that is all around us. Perhaps after reading this, you may find yourself taking a little more time to notice the beauty which I’m sure surrounds you too.
Yesterday afternoon we attended a delightful reception at a new, up-and-coming artist studio, Co-Z Artist Studio, located in Lake Forest, California and owned by artist Francine Zorehkey. Artist and teacher Donna Hanna-Chase had invited me to the event, held to introduce instructors and to high-light their work. Continue reading
One of our favorite scooter destinations is Silverado Canyon, and that was the plan, until yesterday, around 10:00 A.M., when a wild fire started in Silverado Canyon. I spotted the tell tale cloud of smoke around 1:00 P.M., as I headed off to a class, and by the time I arrived home at 4:30 the fire had obviously grown in size. There was no wind thank goodness, so the fire was not being pushed along as so often happens here in Southern California.
This morning when we woke we could smell smoke, and according to the weather report we were in for another scorcher. We made the decision to ride our scooters to the coast and see if we could find some cool, smoke free air. We weren’t the only ones looking.
As I write this we are home, about ten miles from the fire, which is still burning. The canyon has been evacuated and brave firefighters work to save homes. We are sending them good thoughts, and wishing the residents of Silverado Canyon a quick and safe return to their homes.