Home For Rent

The search is on! The neighborhood birds are flocking to my bird houses, going in and out of the entry holes, and discussing the situation with each other. I am not sure quite what they are looking for; some years I make the cut, and other years I don't.

I am hopeful that at least one of my houses will be selected so that I have the fun of watching the nest building and all the activities that follow. Here's hoping...

Some Enchanted Evening

What a night!  Weill Hall, the much touted concert hall modeled after Tanglewood, opened last summer; but I have not set foot inside it until last night, though I have been listening to the ooohs and aaaahs of Sonoma County residents, raving about the beauty and acoustics of the place. Well, it is all true!

The approach to the magnificent hall is very picturesque, not unlike walking the path to Lincoln Center in New York: a showy spectacle of large light-filled windows inviting music lovers to enter. All that is missing is the gurgling fountain.

The hall itself, not to be outdone by the very impressive foyer, is a masterpiece of golden wood, a feast for the eyes. The most amazing feature of this wonderland is the back wall, covered by a curtain last night, which operates like a huge garage door, opening up to reveal a giant green space that becomes lawn seating for summer concerts. I must put that on the agenda for the future.

Big names have been guests at Weill Hall; Yo-Yo Ma played to a sold-out crowd just a couple of weeks ago. How I would have loved to be in that audience, but the tickets were snapped up by season ticket holders, so I lost out. However, because she is not nearly as well known locally as the famed cellist, tickets were available for a concert with Tony Award winner, Barbara Cook, now 85 years old. I'm here to tell you: she can still hit those high notes! I was captivated.

The crowning moment for me was her encore number, John Lennon's Imagine, one of my favorite songs. She put aside her hand mic and walked slowly, holding her cane for support, to the front of the stage.

And sang. Softly. The incredible acoustics carried her voice to every nook and cranny of the hall, and she delivered Lennon's powerful message with the emotional force of an atom bomb. It was stunning.

An enchanted evening, indeed.

Just Pugging Along

Since my pug ladies now have different walking speeds, our outings have become more complicated, with Cleo pulling on the leash while senior citizen Winnie lags behind. The solution, of course, is very simple: two separate walks.

 So, Cleo gets the first shift.

And Winnie, the second.

Cleo moves ahead at a pretty fast pace but occasionally does slow down if something catches her eye.

Winnie, on the other hand, does very little walking but lots and lots of sniffing which gives me time to take my eyes off where I am walking and enjoy the sights...

like paper whites...

and teensy pale pink tea roses.

Winnie's once tightly curled tail has completely unfurled, a signal from her to me that it is time to head homeward, so we slowly make our way down the path that leads to our front door and, inside, her soft and cozy cushion.

There's no place like home.

My Three Grandsons

All I can say is WOW!  This is such a fabulous picture of my three grandsons. Because they are so active, it is nearly impossible to get a photo of all of them together,  motionless and actually posing for the camera. I am in awe and will treasure this wonderful capture of the three brothers enjoying a beautiful day in the park.

Still Hoping

Inauguration Day has come and gone, and I am eager to see what the  next four years will bring. No matter what, I am very pleased that President Obama has been given another four years to carry on his work. This fact says to me that the election of a black man in 2008 was not, as some people claimed,  a fluke; the people have elected him once again.  The misguided goal of making Obama a one term president, overtly stated by some of our supposed leaders,  has bitten the dust.



So, now, will our elected officials come together or will there be four more years of dysfunction? We'll see.


"The most evident of truths - that all of us are created equal - is the star that guides us still...just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall."

-President Barack Obama

Inauguration Day, 2013-

Yes, still hoping.

Beginning Again

Theme Thursday - AGAIN

I love beginnings...the chance to start all over...and so I  welcome this new year. However, I am again  taking  a slightly different direction on the new year's resolution road. As of a couple of years ago,  I have given up making these annual goals because, to tell the truth, it never worked particularly well for me. Instead I have begun attempting new year's  evolutions. You see, there's not quite so much pressure involved.

So, without further delay...this year's evolution attempt is: LOWERING THE BAR OF EXPECTATIONS. I would love to say that I thought this up on my own, but I did not. Instead I borrowed the idea from the very wise Marin County, CA writer, Anne LaMott. There's nothing deep or hugely complicated here. All it really means is to me is LIGHTEN UP, go with the flow, and stop over thinking situations.

Yes, I am going to work on that.

See what else is happening at Theme Thursday.

Undecking the Halls

It's time to get out the storage boxes and return all the Christmas decorations to their cardboard prisons, to be incarcerated until Santa returns again in December of 2013, leaving me with only the memories of this very well-celebrated Christmas.  The newly inflated numbers on my bathroom scale tell me it's high time the partying ended, so I welcome the return to normalcy... and the birth of a new year.