April 23 — Que bonito mi jardin!

It's a beautiful morning. The Tulip Magnolia is leafing out and dropping flower petals like a candy cane carpet. The Cerenthe has multiplied to a patch three times the size of last year. I brought one stalk home the year before that. I had been weeding with Kendal Smith at the Senior Center and I came upon this lively purple flower invading the bocci ball court. Of course we couldn't have that so I pulled it up. It came out of the ground easily and had a nice little root system still attached. Well, I certainly couldn't dump it with the other weeds, soooooo, I took it home and popped it into the mound out in the middle of my garden. It didn't look too perky for the next few weeks and then I lost track of it. But last year.......wow! It formed a patch about four by four feet. This year it's more than three time that big and those gorgeous little shingled flowers are a symphony of purple floating two feet above the ground. The lilac tree is more magnificent than it has been since I planted it fifteen years ago. It must be that everything in my garden actually likes the icy cool weather we've had at the end of this winter. The Noyo Chief Rhododendron is a vibrant jewel. The new Weeping Elm given to me by the MLPA has all kinds of blossom like growth just as the beautiful fanlike leaves are sprouting out.

I walked to the river with Bobby. It took me twelve minutes to go down and nineteen minutes to return. The river is still flowing quite generously. Bobby waded out about two feet in the shallows, looked at the current just beyond him and wisely returned to shore. There are still a few Trilliums standing with stubborn petals in tact both inside and outside my back gate. The little pink blossoms on the beds of redwood sorrel are like tiny sparkles that call out to you on your way up the steep hill from the river. Bobby was so watchful of my progress. He stopped and waited each time I paused to catch my breath. What a little trooper. All in all, a delightful return to a walk I haven't taken for a long time. There are a dozen reasons one can call on to avoid that walk. The occasional wild cat. The occasional individual shooting his gun out there in the forest somewhere. The huge dog on the loose from the new house built just south of us several years ago.

But all went well and it encourages me to visit it again soon. The minute I walk anywhere near the back garden gate Bobby looks like he's going to explode, he gets so excited. The next trip will be sooner than later if he has anything to do with it.

I made another trip to the river to show it to my friend Maj-Britt who was visiting from Berkeley. We each used a cane which I have decided helps quite a bit in the climb up the steep hill. Most likely it also helps while negotiating the  descent  because of the amount of gravel that has been placed  to protect from gullywashers that can cause instant revines in the steep roadway. We had a good walk and Bobby seemed thoroughly pleased to be showing us the way.

April 22, 2012  — Much water under the bridge

I've finally hit the high mark for non-communicating, I think. Everything moving at a rapid pace. Events, obligations, promises. That's life — sometimes. i'm a huge believer in pacing one's self so I mean to slow down. Actually I give myself some special quiet moments  each day.

I've been working hard try to meet all the demands of the city and county to final our building project at Pacific Textile Arts. The ADA requirements for handicap parking top the list for being complicated and difficult to be in compliance. We've finally reached an agreement allowing us to do it our way for a five year period. Then we have agreed to somehow make adjustments that will better satisfy the City's idea of what is required. Whew! 

We held our annual "Feather in the Cap " dinner last night in the new weaving studio. We honored Fernando and Francisco Diaz for their always good natured work at PTA. Karen Inwood found hats that were perfect and she placed lovely new turkey feathers in them before they were presented………Food was as tasty and creative as ever. The joy of holding this event in our own space was palpable. Mary Zicafoos had just finished teaching here class at MAC and came to the party with Richard Kilday. Such fun to have her and the Diaz family there with us for dinner and the mini auction, which had its usual mirthful moments.

I'm going to join the boule group in Mendocino no matter what happens today. It's a beautiful day. Blue sky, sun, slight breeze. Perfect for a trip to Mendocino Village.

What's ahead soon? Should complete a Pacific Textile Arts newsletter by the end of the week. Award a scholarship at the college on Thursday and receive a visit from Maj-Britt Mobrand. She's giving a lecture for the guild on Saturday and will help me to solve some of the assembly mysteries for our Glimakra looms on Friday.

Plans are moving ahead for hosting some weaver friends from Oaxaca at the Taurus Party in May. I'm really looking forward to their visit. Jean Pierre and Yael are bring another Zapotec weaver friend to the party. Fun to think of all the good conversations. 

This year we'll celebrate good health and longevity. I doubt I'll ever adapt to the idea of chronological age because I don't feel a day over sixty. But I'll definitely celebrate my good fortune despite what the numbers say. They simply don't matter to me anymore.

March 8, 2012  —  Trip home  (Sorry, but this was just found and gleaned from draft notebook long after the writing)


Home and the gone. The trip home was characterized by quick shopping spurts, fetching our stored luggage from Los Arcos, and a pleasant ride to the airport sprinkled with conversations about the changes in Vallarta with our driver, Ervin. The plane was declared to be two hours late with no explanation. Eventually Kathy's brother in law, John Shea, who was to be one of the pilots for our flight home, explained to us that problems had nothing to do with the state of the airplane (A very smooth Airbus), but the fact that United Airlines and Continental had chosen to complete their merge at 1:00 am that morning and had experienced strange and annoying computer glitches that managed to bring everything to a halt for some time. We were treated very nicely by the attendants and finished our ride with after dinner kaluha and creme even though there was no dinner served on that flight.


Larkin picked us up very promptly at the airport and after dropping John off at his apartment, we stopped at a late night pasta cafe and had delicious salads. Kathy and I drove that night to Marina Bay because we had a brunch date the next morning with family. Lovely to see them all and to get caught up a little on Mira's activities since she returned from being in Italy.

We moved on up the hill after a great breakfast to see Jenny's show at the Berkeley Art Center. I could have stayed all afternoon it is such a rich and captivating exhibition. I'm thrilled for her — and also so proud. I've heard that it has been declared by some to be the best we parted ways and both t show they've ever had there. Of course, there never is such a thing, but just to hear it said is lovely. Ths a beautifully matched three person show. I would urge anyone living within a reasonable distance to take it in before it closes and the end of March.


Kathy and I caravanned to Willits with a salad stop in Healdsberg. After filling our tanks in Willits at the Safeway station we parted ways and both had last hours winding separate ways home filled with thoughts of our time together as well as all the little things we needed to begin thinking about as we returned to our lives at home.


I've had two good swims since I returned but since the Star Aquatic Center is closed due to economic shortfalls, the lanes at the health club are filled to the brim. The good news is that the people ofFort Brag just voted to their sales tax to cover reopening and maintaining the Center under the control of the city. The pool is scheduled to open some time in June or July. That will be a big relief  to all concerned.


I came home to a huge pile of t and mail and managed to do a first and second sorting before taking Bobby for a long ride back to Marina Bay Wednesday afternoon The reason being that Sachiyo had bought tickets to se Garrison Keellor at Zellerbach Hall. After dropping Bobby off and feeding him I picked Sachiyo up and we searched for parking. Had dinner at a great little Japanese Tapa style restaurant on Telegraph Avenue. Then we did a fast walk to Zellerbach, reaching our seats just in the nick of time for two and a half hours of spellbinding stories by the master of the craft, with well timed drifts into song both alone and sometimes with a charming. long legged beauty who often sings with him on Prairie Home Companion. It was definitely worth driving bak down here for this performance. Heard nothing but awestruck raves as we walked out into the cool, Berkeley evening.


Post script: Just before leaving the hall, we made our way to the balcony lady's room. Funny comments and conversations reminded me so much of nights waiting in similar lines at Berkeley Rep. In those days, I vowed that some day I'd write a one act play taking place in such a line with all the feet showing behind the short door stalls. Such a wealth of visual moments and one liners. Who knows, if I don't write it, someone else might. — May I will.


Pictured below: Remembering the view from #5, our room on the beach in Yelapa.