87 - 30 - 40 thru 11 thousand years ago

Song - Say Goodbye to Hollywood by Billy Joel

Several birthday were celebrated in February.....

Mom turned 87 and still looks and acts 67!  We drove out to Tomales and had lunch outside on the deck at Nick's Cove. It was a glorious day!

The bartender there was making up some drinks and photographing them on the railing.  He was just going to dump it after the photo shoot so mom & I volunteered to be taste testers! The beautiful green rolling hills and farm animals were like my mom said "it's almost like going to Europe!".

 My middle son, Jon turned 30 on the 28th!  Yipes......just when did that happen! So Mr. B and I drove down to LA to spend a few days with him.

Almond trees blooming along Hwy. 5

Power lines that seemed to go on forever

The Grapevine at noon

Jon & Mr. B

 For his birthday we got tickets to see Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra at the Shrine Auditorium on Saturday night.

Waiting at the Shrine

Jon and I were delighted but Mr. B wasn't too sure about all of that mombo-jumbo stuff.

It was amazing!  Both Eckhart & Deepak shared such great information that I thought my head would explode. I could tell that Jon was taking it all in and getting it too!  Believe me there was a lot to "get".  When we left, Mr. B said he was amazed as well and followed most of what they said.  He also looks forward to learning more about awakening to a higher consciousness.

The next day we went to the beach and while Mr. B and Jon took a long walk, I stayed behind to take some photo's of the surfers as it was a "high wave advisory" and a beautiful day! I didn't know it at the time but I was coming down with a cold so I was feeling low energy. I had also seen a whale at Manhattan Beach the day before and I was hoping to get another glimpse!

After the beach we headed into old town Torrance to one of our favorite breakfast places and dined on the sidewalk.

As we headed to north-central Hollywood, I realized that this was the night of the Academy Awards.  Streets were blocked off right and left but lucky for us Jon was driving and he had an app on his phone that told him the quickest route.....well actually it was Morgan Freeman's voice on Waze that told us with authority what the best route was!

The wild animals at La Brea Tar Pits that are being excavated are roughly 40 - 11 thousand years old - that would be the Pleistocene period and it really is surrounded by downtown!

Replica of a mamma getting sucked into the tar and daddy & baby watching helplessly

 There were big bubbles coming up in the above tar pond which I though was just a touch Disneyland-ish but then was told that they are real methane gas bubbles.

These are the real bones that they have uncovered.  An early form of Camel and an adult & baby American Mastodon.  I even got to touch a Saber Toothed Cat skull that a guy was bringing out for display.  Mr. B and Jon were not so anxious to touch it but I was dumbstruck and probably had a fever that was affecting my thought process.

We had a wonderful dinner at a favorite Indian restaurant near where Jon used to live.  Monday Jon had to work so after a tearful goodbye, Mr. B and I headed home.  We did pass some beautiful wildflowers.....

And after a few warm days, the Almond trees looked like they were snowing.....

"In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you." --Deepak Chopra

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. Deepak Chopra
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/deepak_chopra.html

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. Deepak Chopra
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/deepak_chopra.html

Surrounded by Color

Song - At Last by Etta James


So much has happened in the last few weeks......

It was Mr. B's birthday on Valentines Day and we had several friends over for Paella and laughter! Mr. B cooked the yummy Paella since I had carried this lovely copper pan from Paris as a gift for him 5 years ago and it's never been used!  Until NOW........

My nephew and his wife have been on a trip and my son volunteered to watch their dog for them while they are gone.  But my son and his fiancee both work full time so I volunteered to take Canonball for a few days.  What a sweet, loving doggie!  I remember her as a youngster and she was a bit on the wild side but not any more.  Very mellow.....and just the right height to pet when you pass her in the house!

Did you notice that "special" word that I casually inserted in the above paragraph?

YES!!!  Andy asked Ashley to marry him last weekend and she said YES!!!  I cried for 3 days with tears of joy! Mr. B and I both adore her and we couldn't be happier!  Heck, I'm crying right now just telling you about it............

I think my son has good taste in a wife and a ring......bling!

And on a final note, my momma Mourning Dove is back.  She and her partner built a nest in a day and that evening she was sitting on it.  So sweet.

So you can see how much color has been in my life recently and I'm loving it!!!
 


"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." --Douglas Adams

Fields of Gold

Song - Heart of Gold by Neil Young

Monday I took a leisurely drive up to Napa Valley to see the mustard in the vineyard and to walk with a dear friend.  I passed some Belted Galloway cows or better known as Oreo Cows!!!

Since I was early in meeting my friend, I decided to head on up to Yountville as a "Krwa-son" had my name on it!

While I was at Bouchon, I decided to get a couple of croissants to share with family and friends.  After thoroughly enjoying the buttery, moist, light, flakey roll, I placed the bag with the remainder of them in the far back of the car so I wouldn't be tempted to nibble as I drove.

My friend, Helen told me that the mustard had just opened up last week and it is beautiful. Actually it was a lovely warm winter's day. We had a delicious lunch and then walked around downtown Napa and past the Victorian homes called painted ladies and through the park.

We stopped by the Gallery where Helen shows her jewelry and hand dyed silk scarfs.  She is incredibly talented, brilliant, creative and has a heart of gold...... 

This morning, I woke up early and ran into the kitchen and grabbed a perfect croissant and ran back to have breakfast in bed while Mika gave me the stank-eye. 

Two lovely days after a tough month! Thank you Helen...... 

Scratch & sniff HERE........(jk)

"It's your road, and yours alone.  

Others may walk it with you, 

but no one can walk it for you."

 --Rumi

Grace

Song - Amazing Grace by Jeff Campbell

Each year I choose One Little Word on which to focus for the upcoming new year.  It is more relevant for me to have a word to focus on than to have a New Year's resolution which I usually blow within the first month and then I feel bad about myself.

In December my word came to me for 2016 and it was Grace.

Not the kind of Grace where I have to walk and act "graceful"......nope, that wouldn't be me!  But the kind of grace that you don't see but you feel.

Looking back on the month of January, my dad was the perfect example of Grace.  He was a quite man who loved his family and home.  Dad worked hard and loved the simple things in life - his garden, going for a ride with mom, fishing, and good friends.

Calvin Kenneth Crawford

1927 - 2016

"I do not understand the mystery of grace - 
only that it meets us where we are
 and does not leave us where it found us." 
-- Anne Lamott

A Winter Walk

Song - Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head by B.J. Thomas

After a good rain storm and spending way too much time indoors, 

I took a little walk around my garden today.

The creek in our backyard was roaring.

The lettuce in the vegatable garden was happy.

The Alyssum growing on the rock walls surrounding the vegetable garden smelled wonderful 

and is bright and cheerful. 

 

The Narcissus are ready to open!

My wild Violets are a little bug eaten but blooming. 

  My Mother Ferns are unfurling and......

...growning baby ferns!!! 

The Camellia's are outdoing themselves this year! 

Even our woodpile is growing!  Maybe some Rainbow Bracket Fungus?

Buds on the Flowering Quince

 And the biggest shock is that my brown lawn (ugg!) has turned green (sigh!)

The Spring Snowflakes are budding

And I have several blooms on my Sea Foam Rose!

After my garden walk, Mika and I came indoors and lit the fire and curled up with a cup of tea.


"We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming.  We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are.  They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse.  But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives."
 --Gary Zukav

Whistle While You Work

Song - Geert Chatrou: World Champion Whistler

I woke up this morning and found out that I could whistle!

Now that may not be a surprise to you but it sure shocked me.  I have never been able to whistle - well except backwards. Meaning I could kind of whistle by sucking air in. But that doesn't work too well because it rapidly fills your lungs with air so your songs need to be super short.

For the last two hours I have been practicing to the tune of the Micky Mouse song.  It takes an amazing amount of concentration so I still can't walk and whistle at the same time but I am working on it! 

"When I paint, I definitely live in the present, 

like someone in a shower whistling or singing." 

 -- Orhan Pamuk

December 2015

Song - Auld Lang Syne by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards


 My December.....

Discovered an illegal squatters shelter  10' from our property line and overlooking our backyard.  Ugg...... Worse yet my neighbor told them they could build it there because they told her it was really a Mountain Lion Lookout.  Mmmmm......

Mr. B and my brother Tim trying to move my dad's workshop

A friend went to Tahoe and sent me this photo 

because she knows I just love snow on trees! 

Pure beauty!

Mr. B and I went to The Dickens Fair to see our friend Sandey Grinn transform himself into Fagin! So amazing!

Mr. B played Santa this Christmas Eve and said it was the best E-V-E-R! 

Dawn on Christmas Day

 My dear dad spent a week in the hospital and came home on Christmas Day.  This car was parked next to mine as I was leaving the hospital on that day. Brought a smile to my face!

We all received great gifts again this year but the two that really stand out were Mr. B's reflective gear for his early morning walks and.......

....and Tyler's Bumper Dumper that is a camo toilet seat that fits into his trailer hitch to be used when he is out in the wilderness - not in my driveway!

Dad is happy to be at home with mom 

and Mika is happy to have someone to snuggle with all day long!

The best way to take care of the future 

is to take care of the present moment.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Crazy in California

Song - Crazy by Patsy Cline

Twelve of One Hundred Faces

So in November, I came up with this brilliant plan to get me into my studio and painting every day.  I decided that I would paint 100 faces on 6 x 6" panels. There is no time limit on this, I just pull out a reference photo whenever I don't have a larger canvas to paint. I got photo's from several sources.  One was my personal photos and those of my family.  The other two are online sources - MorgueFiles.com and pmp-art.com (Paint-My-Photo).  They are both free services for artists to use as reference and I highly recommend you check them out!

So without thinking that Thanksgiving and Christmas would soon be here, I began my new project. I fell in love with these faces with character.  Then I got 6 Christmas commissions so I have had to put a few things (like blogging) on hold to get them done in time.

If you would like to watch the progress of my "Faces with Character" please go to...

www.jeanettebaird.com

"Life isn't just the front page---it's the comics, too."-  Jim Althoff