Category Archives: Lifestyle

Showing some of life in southern California.

Mom and Daughter Day

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surf shot

Good afternoon! I planned to post this last evening, but was so tired from all of the fresh air and walking, it had to wait until today.

Early last week, my mom and I decided to make Monday a mom and daughter day, so I headed out early yesterday morning for Seal Beach, where Mom lives. It is about a forty minute drive from our house, if the freeway co-operates, and it did. The weather was gorgeous and a perfect day for a trip to the ocean. Above is the amazing view from the Seal Beach pier. You can see we were not the only ones enjoying the view.

Two pigeons

fan shop

Main Street, Seal Beach is delightfully lined with colorful little shops and restaurants. There are just so many interesting places to browse and shop. We were enticed by the constant aroma drifting from a cinnamon roll bakery, but didn’t give in to temptation. Today, I am thinking perhaps we should have.

One of my favorite stores, that is a must see, is the California Sea Shell Co. at 125 Main Street. It has every kind of shell you can imagine and many other wonderful items.

shell shop

Our last stop was to a small nursery, also on Main Street. Walking around the many plants and flowers, I was reminded of a recent trip to Carmel,California. I loved exploring while Mom made her choice and purchased a few flowering plants to take home to her garden.

It really was amazing to see all that was available on that wonderful little street that is the heart of Seal Beach.

nursery 2

It was a perfect day, and we promised each other we would do it again, soon.  Who knows, maybe the next time we will dip our toes in the Pacific.

 

 

 

Post Vacation Projects

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prettiest roses

Today was a day spent catching up on projects left undone while we were on vacation. I found these beautiful roses blooming in the back yard, picked them and brought them inside to enjoy.

African violet

Next I repotted and separated several african violet plants. I love african violets and was wanting to do this project for quite some time. By the end of the day my plants were already looking much perkier.Annika bath

My last big challenge was to give Annika a bath. She always knows what I am planning and makes herself scarce when she sees me with the dog shampoo and towels. Once in the tub she is fairly co-operative. Here is a photo of her taken after she was  dried off and brushed. Not quite as perfect as the groomer would do, but she looks much cleaner than at the end of our camping trip. She is sleeping at my feet as I write this, so I think she has finally forgiven me.

 

 

Revisiting Los Laureles Lodge in Carmel Valley, California

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los lauralesLos Laureles

My husband, Martin and I celebrated our wedding anniversary while away on vacation. It wasn’t planned that way, but it so happened we were in Carmel, California on August 1st. We thought it would be fun to drive to the Carmel Valley and look for Los Laureles Lodge where we’d spent part of our honeymoon 44 years ago. We didn’t know if it still existed. Well, it does and it’s thriving. It has several more buildings now, including a restaurant and wedding chapel. We met a couple who were newly married and holding their reception at the lodge. It was a wonderful day and although Los Laureles Lodge has changed, it brought back many happy memories of a wonderful honeymoon spent in Carmel Valley 44 years ago.

More of Santa Maria

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fess parker pink flower I had to share another photo with you from the beautiful grounds of the Fess Parker Winery. Even if you are not into wine tasting, it is well worth a visit. We saw families eating at picnic tables set under shady trees. Dogs are also welcome when on leash.Annika at Fess Parker

You can see in this photo Annika resting on the cool outdoor tile. This is our last day in Santa Maria and tomorrow we will be on the road again.