Just Dance.

After a long, rained-in cabin-fever day, three kids and 1 lemon drop, there is nothing left to do but...

(Admittedly I am a bad dancer but I own it. View with this in mind.)

Have a great long weekend.
See you back here on Tuesday.

Michelle, My Belle.

This is Michelle.
If the stars ever align and you find yourself in a friendship with Michelle, you are the luckiest person in the universe. She brings sunshine to the darkest places and fun to any dull moment. She loves to laugh, takes on adventure, she is motivated, open-minded and wicked smart. Of course there is the obvious-she is beautiful, but what I love most about her is the loyal friendship through thick and thin, no matter what she is present and available to her friends.

(I borrowed these photos from her Facebook page)

(This one is mine, from our 2005 trip to London.
Michelle in Hyde Park.)
Michelle is graduating from College in two weeks, I couldn't be prouder.

Dear Michelle,
Congratulations on your graduation!
Your friendship means all of the above to me and more.
Thank you for continuing to keep in contact with me whenever you are in town, friendship is so easy with you. I realize it wasn't the stars aligning when we became friends but that God sent you into my life at a time when I was drowning,
He helped you bring me to the surface
and for that I thank you and Him.
You deserve the very best in life, Michelle.
Love,
Dusty

Sigh.

By now most gardeners have planted their vegetables and herbs. I realize it's late May and this next weekend is supposed to kick off the summer season here but Mother Nature seems to be confused which makes my job and hobby of having a fruitful harvest this Fall (so far) impossible. I have yet to build my garden boxes and trick the gophers or even buy my starter plants. I feel behind schedule and a bit hopeless about my vegetable garden. It snowed Saturday so I am glad I listened to Tim and waited on planting, but sitting indoors today I am anxiously looking out at my sad, wet garden space to where in Springs past I smiled at it's cheerfulness and green growth.

This photo is of my first garden.
My Mom built it with me and Maile helped me maintain it.
Both of them are gone now, hopefully together cheering me on to
pick myself up and get excited to start/finish my vegetable garden.
Hey girls, mind sending me some sunshine?

(I'm smiling just this second because indeed,
there was a break in the clouds. I love you girls, thanks!)

Berry Berry, Blue Eyes, San Francisco Blend.

We spent Sunday in Sutter Creek celebrating Tim's Mom's birthday.
We had Tea at Tea Eras. The Little Girls were in dress-up heaven and adored sharing this special treat with their Grandma. We shopped antiques and admired the gardens beyond the front gates of the cottages on Main Street. It was a sunny, charming day.

The Wild Indoors.

This 'Mountain Girl' is the designated wildlife rescuer at our house.
I am responsible for all creatures great and small that are
or aren't our pets. That includes and is not limited to
birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians and insects.
Mentioning these animals begs the telling of the time of
Tim (standing on kitchen chair) vs. Opossum (hiding behind the
washer in laundry room) at our former home in the Napa Valley.
More specific details of this story might challenge
Tim's masculinity (I took care of the possum).

Last Friday night I saw something moving under the TV cabinet.
A Baby Bat.
I gave him a new home in the Pistacio Tree
outside the Honey Hut. The Little Girls have
been outside checking on him every chance they get.
He backed up and hung in there over the weekend until sometime
this morning when I found him dead at the base of the tree.
I've planned a little burial service for him this afternoon.
A difficult life lesson I think important for the Little Girls' growth
as compassionate humans. This little bat brought us
excitement and wonder these last few days.
I wish he could have made it through.

Full.

Today will be a whirlwind of chores and tidying up.
These roses help me take pause and remind me how full my life is.
I'm happy. It's a good life.
What are you up to this weekend my dear readers?
We are celebrating Margaret's (Tim's Mum's) birthday. She is staying the weekend. I love having weekend company and the Little Girls are counting down the minutes until she opens the front door. Wishing you a relaxing and pleasant weekend. See you back here Monday.

All Aboard...

the Cousin Train.
First stop, Fun!

Pink.

Tim does pretty well with the amount of girlie pink there is around our house.
I'm tempted to see how far I could get by adding
more hot pink and making our house look more like this
house featured on my favorite design blog Design Sponge.
This house belongs to a Dutch designer named
Kirsten Voortman who lives/works in Amsterdam.
For the story and more photos, go here.

White floors? Totally impractical,
but to feel like you're living on a cloud?
Swoon.

(Lissa, don't you love it?)

Form Vs. Function.

This mantle was my friend Sharon's. When she had it in her house, it changed the look of the whole room. And though there never was a fire coming from inside the frame or wall behind, its character brought warmth and comfort to her sitting room. I wanted said warmth and comfort in my dining room but needed to have this mantle function in some way so I made a chalkboard and put it behind the mantle. It's function, you see, is obvious.

Flashback.

This last Saturday we met college friends and all their kids at the Sacramento Zoo.

It was sort of a self-made college reunion picnic.
Back in College these guys were either RAs in the same dorm, in business classes together, playing "Bond", hanging out in the dean's office for Thursday night Seinfield, or scheming up pranks for each other.
Some of the kids.
(from the left; a Chinock, a Botting, an Evans, a Chinock.)
The Chinocks.
(Joelle is my cousin, we saw each other every summer in Santa Cruz as kids and later lived in Spain at the same time but in different towns. That was a very good year.)
More kids.
J.
My girl Leilani.

The End of a great day.

Agh.

Today I need some motivation. Something to get me going.
I have so much to do and lack the energy to get off this chair.
This helps a little, cheering me on.

(thanks to Jeni for taking this photo.)

Will-Ivy-Manna.

We took a trip to the Napa Valley yesterday-my sweet friend Jeni,
her delicious son Will, the little girls and I.

The best veggie burger possible.

Jeni and William.

Woodhouse Chocolates.

The perfect ending to a GREAT day.
(Thanks Jeni, can't wait to do it again. Where should we explore next?)

My Favorite Fun.

Sacramento Antique Faire.

Owl Necklace anyone?

I Heart these pins.

This flower planter is an inverted tire. Genius.

My treasures.