Another beautiful day in Morgan Hill. Loquat season seemed to come and go more quickly than usual this year. I think it is because the squirrels have discovered that they like this prolific fruit. When I decided to harvest some loquats to perch on the frame of the mirror I could only find three of them. The squirrels have been harvesting most of the almonds for several years but this is the first time I've ever noticed them eating loquats. One day it was especially noisy in one of the loquat trees as the squirrels and a bluejay were scolding each other over just whose loquats they were. I stayed out of it.

Eskimo Nose Kiss

Here is my favorite son-in-law Tony with favorite grandson Isaac. I love seeing their red-headed profiles. Jennifer and I were on our way to book group so I got to their house early enough to have a short birthday visit. It was Isaac's official birthday (6-29-09) . His two-year-old birthday party was a couple of weeks ago just in case the twins decided to arrive before July. I am trying out the soft focus feature in Picassa. I sort of liked it on this photo since, to me, the important part is the noses touching. Actually, I just noticed that it looks like they are sharing the same nose.

A Favorite Garden Snack

Ahhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhh hhhh hh hhhh hhhhhhh hhhhhhh hhhhhhh hhhhhh hh hh hhh! I am finally getting some cherry tomatoes and can indulge in one of my favorite garden snacks.

Easy 2-ingredient recipe:

Stuffed Nasturtiums

1 to 11 tomatoes
An equal number of nasturtium blooms

Pick ripe or almost ripe cherry tomatoes.
Pluck some nasturtiums, any color
Wrap nasturtium petals around a tomato and pop
the whole thing into your mouth.
Crunch down and enjoy a zingy treat!

Now you should be energized enough to pull some more weeds.

Perfect Summer Days 1962 and 2009

Ahhhhh! What sweet peacefulness to be out in a canoe on Lake Lucern in Maple Valley, Washington earlier this month. This was a re-creation, for me, of a similar experience I had in 1962 at Beaver Lake when visiting at the Washington state home of my Uncle Joel and Aunt Jean and my cousins Beth Ann and David. About 10 or so years later I was at an AAUW meeting in Garland, Texas where the speaker was demonstrating biofeedback and I was the Guinea pig who got connected to his machine. He told me to close my eyes and go back in time to a very peaceful day in my life and to experience the feelings I had at that time. His instructions immediately brought to mind my getting up very early and paddling out onto the lake in a canoe. It was a foggy morning and everything was very calm. I paddled all around the small lake before returning and I had been up so early that no one had even missed me. Poor biofeedback guy! I was so calm that he could hardly get his machine to regester a pulse or whatever he was looking for. So he tried to get me to visualize something stressfull but my demeanor remained calm despite my attempts to help his demonstration. Anyway, ever since that time, when I want to invoke calmness in my being, I have gone back to imagining myself paddling around on that calm foggy lake on a very peaceful summer morning. Imagine my delight when I got to visit my cousin David's home (now all grown up with a wife Patsy and 9 children). They have created a lovely home at a beautiful small lake in the same geographic region in Washington state. AND, right down there on the shore was a canoe AND this time I had a camera so YAHOO! now I have a photo which replicates closely my vision and my experience from 1962. This time it was evening and not foggy but I loved the way the puffy clouds were reflected in the placid water of the lake. I saw a feather floating on the still water so decided to row over to it and scoop it up as a souvenir. I got next to it and tried to come up under it with the paddle but it just floated further away. The funny thing was, I could never get that close to it again even in the calm water. So I just made lazy circle eights for a while before paddling back to shore. What a nice memory of a perfect evening! We had a dinner of the best salmon I have ever had anywhere, broccoli and shrimp salad (both yummy). And for dessert Cousin Dave had made a delicious rhubarb and strawberry pie.

What a perfect day!

Thanks Patsy and Dave!

What Would God Wear?

This is the sentiment on a t-shirt available on the internet. I find it strangely appealing but have not yet placed my order. I decided not long ago that I have more t-shirts than I could ever wear out in this lifetime. Let me know if you are interested in finding the site (my sneaky way of getting some comments). AND it just happens to be on CLEARANCE. How can you afford NOT to get one either for yourself or some deserving giftee?

Poppies, Poppies, Poppies

This is from a tour of Native Plant Gardens that I went on in March in an effort to get inspired to take out at least one of our 3 lawn areas. It would save water and I just need to decide which one to attack first.

A Rich Young Man (er, um, ah, Easter Bunny)

Easter Sunday 2009: Here's the almost naked Easter Bunny being read to by his mom right before nap time. I was reminded of how fortunate Isaac is when I picked up an old book of quotations and came across something along the likes of this:
" Sir, I have riches that nothing can take away, for I had a mother who read to me".
Or something to that effect. I can't locate the exact quotation, wouldn't you know, but I was very struck by it. I can't imagine a greater pleasure than observing what wonderful parents our grandchild has.

Isaac had fun exploring the Easter Basket Nana and Pawpaw brought. Then it was time to see what one of the other Easter Bunnies had hidden outside. His 'rents wanted him to gather all the eggs into his basket before opening them. But Isaac was on Isaac Time. As he found each egg he paused to open it and test or taste the insides. I suspect that will change in the next few years when there is competition for the eggs by his soon-to-arrive siblings.

When I was there last week I picked up a book called Wheels on the Bus and asked Isaac if he would like to have me read it to him. "No" he said. So I started singing the song. Soon he went over to the bookshelf and picked out a book about Twins that we had given him. What a joy to read to such a cute and attentive audience!