Scenes From Today…

I went for a run tonight for the first time in ages. It was actually the first time since we moved to California over a year ago. I walk everywhere and workout pretty often, but I am not a runner. At least, I have always told myself that. I have been following Angela’s at Oh She Glows posts for her August Challenge this month, and it has been inspiring. She is so open about working through fear. What I am afraid of? It made me feel that I should just go out and run tonight, and I ran further than I thought I could.

Of course, I still stop and take pictures because somethings simply can’t be helped.

Crazy tall sunflowers and lemon trees for example…

…and white flowers at dusk stop me in my tracks. I am becoming fairly certain that I will never tire of taking pictures of palm trees regardless of how long we live here. This photogenic cluster was a good excuse to just hit pause and feel grateful for my much improved health and Sunday afternoons.

Scenes From Today…

It has been a busy summer, and J and I haven’t had a lot of free time together. I decided get up early so we could get meet for a few free late morning hours together. We wandered around the city and explored the inside of City Hall. I have been past it a bunch of times but this was the first time I had been inside. The sunlight streaming though the porticos was gorgeous. The huge red lotus flower is a moving sculpture by Korean artist Choi Jeon Hwa called Breathing Flower. It was so nice to take a short break to just wander around. We really should do it more often.

Sunday at the Farmers’ Market

I bought some of those crazy looking pale green cucumbers (edit: Bitter Melons!). I’ll admit I thought they were a kind of squash. There were so many different kinds of peppers today, and I bought an assortment of colors to have with flank steak and chimichurri sauce tonight. After a compelling free sample, we were lured to buy a huge Crenshaw melon. So, that will be dessert tonight, and probably tomorrow too.

Just Over A Year Later…

Well, it’s been about a year since we moved from the east coast to the west. In so many ways, moving across the country was easier than I anticipated. We went from living in a little house to an even smaller apartment. It turns out we needed even fewer things than we thought.

Food and flowers are so central to what makes me happy. I love my little herb garden on our patio, but I do miss having a real garden. Mostly, I miss the potential of having my own dirt and space. I loved romanticizing our plot of land. It was all very Gone With The Wind, at least in my mind.

Here, I do get to take pictures of other people’s flowers.

These gardenias were just hanging out in front of a bank like they weren’t anything special at all. I casually stalked them until they finally bloomed.

Of course, there are palm trees here.

There are oak trees and redwoods too, but the palm trees make me feel like we are really living someplace else.

I have become completely spoiled by year-round farmers’ markets, evening walks to Turkish cafes, and never really needing a winter coat.

Despite missing east coast family and friends, we are happy here.  California is home for now, and it turns out moving isn’t so scary after all.

Scenes From The Shore…

My weekend at the shore on the east coast had all the necessary elements for a great short vacation with family. We spent a day on the beach and the boardwalk. New Jersey beaches are one of the more entertaining spots for people watching.

My brother cooked us lobsters for dinner two nights in a row. He even pre-cracked the shells making it a fully indulgent experience.

In my family, no beach vacation is ever complete without a Scrabble tournament. My dad is somewhat of a master of the game. He only beat me by a point in our last game, and I am already ready for our rematch.

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you are having a great fourth of July! I am enjoying the possibility of a low-key day and maybe some evening fireworks over the Hudson River.

* The photo above is by Hendrickson Photography from our wedding, but I think it applies.

Scenes From Today…

Sometimes, I like baking for no reason…

and letting my dog nap in a warm pile of clean laundry…

I also really enjoy browsing pictures to procrastinate when I should be finishing a project. Oh, look a heart shaped kiwi from the farmer’s market! Cute, no? Photos are the best distractions.

Okay, back to work. I will be back soon with a bunch of new recipes, including a remarkably delicious but un-photogenic guacamole recipe.

A Wall of Jasmine and Bougainvillea

J: Are you going to stop and take a picture of this every single time?

Me: Yep.

Sunday at the Farmers’ Market