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It's March. And I can't believe how much has happened since my last post. In the words of Inigo Montoya there is too much.



So, I'll sum up.

The Golden Gate Conference at Asilomar last weekend was off the hook. So much inspiration and great tips and updates from the digital universe. cynthialord = <3. I will post nuggets from the conference soon, I promise. The day after tomorrow we move into our new place. Of course I can't wait. I'm so excited. And I've discovered a few things about myself. I do random weird stuff when I move.

1. My recent weirdness includes double and triple checking the car I've already locked to make sure it's locked. This is embarrassing because yes, I pass the people on the way in to wherever and then double back to my car and everyone I passed sees me walking back to my car again and of course I think that they've all seen me do this all over town this week and they are all laughing.

2. I notice that I write about myself in the second person a lot. I'm not sure how to feel about this.

3. I also by a lot of bread. I don't know why. I do love bread, but I buy a lot of it when I move.

4. There is no "moving" theme on LJ. Tragic. I could use one. But I settle for the icon on this post which shows you all the stuff I have left to pack. Joy.

5. I have this dialogue running in my head about how badly I want to buy digital books because they don't need to be packed. And then I don't ever want to buy a digital book because of how much I love all my books. My hubby thinks I'm crazy and wants to buy me a kindle.

6. I collect as many coupons for "buy one dinner get one free" because the kitchen officially closes tomorrow and I completely relish the sort-of-one-week I get where I don't cook during a move. But I don't really like eating out. I love making dinner at home.

7. I'm re-using our moving boxes from the last two moves. This gives me an eerie sort of pleasure.

8. I literally dream about gardening. And where I'll plant tomatoes.

9. I get super nostalgic and remember everything my mom and dad and I used to do when I moved into a new place, whether it was my first apartment or my first house. And they are right beside me. Mom: I'll miss setting up the kitchen with you. But, you'd like it. It's not too big and it has a beautiful window above the kitchen sink. Dad: you'd like our plans for the workbench.

10. All of us tend to get the bug at the same time. Not the last move, but the move before, my parents moved the same time I did. This time around my daughter and her boyfriend are moving on the very same weekend. And it's kind of funny that there is no expression for the family that moves together...

Oso is curled up under my desk at my feet. This is incredibly out of character. Oso is the boy about town. He loves to meet new people. His adventures are legendary. He's what you might call an outside dog, not because we want it that way, just because it's his nature. He doesn't like the indoors. Especially in the rain, especially in the wind. Because rain and wind makes houses so terribly loud. Always the optimist, I leave the garage door open for him anyway because I just can't think of him out there in the rain, where I know he likes to be, because I have to know that he get out of the weather if he wants to. He never goes in the garage.

Today we are having quite the storm on the central coast of California. It hailed the other day, but it didn't really phase Oso. But today, the hail was bigger and it came down harder and I saw him out there sort of making his way to the front door so I opened the door and called out to him to come in and I could see in his eyes that he didn't really want to and what was this icy, hurty stuff anyway? Drenched, and I do mean drenched, he deigned to walk inside and I tried to corral him to the kitchen where a linoleum floor [albeit white] was much easier to clean than our wood floors and area rug. He let loose in one of those awesome dog shakes and hail popped all over the kitchen walls, cabinets, floor and I ran to get our beach towels to start to dry him off. He loves this part. Usually he sits still and will let me stroke him endlessly until his paws are mostly clean of all the mud [our rental home has no lawn, just dirt all about the house] and his fur becomes sort-of-dry. But today he was antsy. His first brush with hail left him a little skiddish. So I kept after him corralling him in the kitchen, telling him it would be Ok. I sat with him in the living room and told him everything would be just fine. I laid towels down and we sat there together, looking outside at the rain. When he did calm down he hit the floor and just as I thought he'd get in a little nap, it hit. A huge bolt of lightening. And then, you guessed it. THUNDER. So incredibly loud it shook the house. That was it. Oso ran around the house looking for somewhere safe––in my office, under the desk, by my feet. I don't dare move.

I love this little town that we've called home for the last seven months. I open my window every night to let the fresh air in and hear the the waves, sometimes foghorns, barking seals, and occasionally, when the wind is right, TAPS wends its way down from the Presidio. Every now and again after I get up in the middle of the night for another glass of water I'll see the brightly lit squid boats out on Monterey Bay. I've never lived like this before. And, I like it. We will be moving again soon. Hubby and I will celebrate our 25th Anniversary in a few days so milestones are on my mind. Today I have a smile on my face because as differently as we have lived these past few years, we are doing the very same thing we were doing in February of 1986, we are in escrow on a house.

I've had some days to myself. When the time approached I had all these fantasies of just writing, a lot. I was going to be selfish with my time. Not cook at all and read and write. But, fate had other ideas. One unexpected thing? Our car was involved in a hit and run last Sunday. At The Del Monte Shopping Mall in Monterey. Not fun. Damage wasn't bad, but...After finding an amazing spot [I needed a spot close to the Mall because of my sore foot] I had a lovely day with Mx full of manis and a pedi and shopping and, well, OK the Bears game wasn't fun. After the game when we returned to the car there was a note stuck to it. "People hit your car side bumper on left side. was big white truck." They wrote down the last four numbers of the truck's license plate and said "please find this person." The last plea struck me. That someone was nice enough to leave a note struck me to.

Note to those of you in the Monterey area: I've heard from the rental car agency that I used that they have hit-and-run customers from The Del Monte Shopping Center to the tune of about 3 people a week. I'm told it was really bad over Black Thursday and the Christmas holiday. Who knew?

I've been gone. Went on vacation where I drank strawberry daquiris and coconut coffee and took lots of long walks in the sand! It was amazing. I'm back now and so thankful for each and every one of you!!!!

And I'm 5000 words away from finishing Nano this year. The suspense is killing me! Will I finish? Or, won't I? Stay tuned:) My character just woke up in a cage full of panthers. Things are looking good.

Every Wednesday I head on over to a local middle school and help second and third grade kids with their reading. It's an absolute joy. I love the kids and I love being back at a middle school because, well, my kids are all grown up. I also love what I learn in the stories that the kids read to me.

Walter Colton School. Today, for the first time, I wanted to know who the heck this guy was. Came to find out Walter Colton was the man that built the first schoolhouse in Monterey, Colton Hall, in the 1840s and California's first constitutional convention was held there. There's an old black and white picture of Colton Hall and another old photo of Walter Colton himself in one of the glass display cases at the school. Turns out he was also the towns first alcalde, or Mayor. A real Renaissance Man, he was the author of Three Years in California and Deck and Port and was also co-publisher of California's first newspaper, The Californian--which would carry the news of war with Mexico. Apparently Walter Colton fined every gambler $20 to help cover the costs of building California’s first schoolhouse. Hmmmm, I wonder if Jerry might take a cue from Walter to help get California out of her current bind. His book Three Years in California describes life in California before the California Gold Rush.

There's so many stories all around us. Every day we use things and go places that we know little about. Today it was fun to find out a little bit more about Walter.

I've been living in butterfly town since May. But yesterday I heard something for the first time that I never heard before. I heard a bugle playing Reveille as I was drinking my coffee yesterday morning. It was amazing. We live right next to the Presidio of Monterey. So, I guess it shouldn't be a big surprise. Yet, like I said, I had never heard it before. Maybe I wasn't listening. Maybe there is a new bunch of recruits there now that weren't there over the summer. Whatever the reason, it got me thinking about what I need to wake up to in my own life. And how amazing I felt after hearing the bugle's call. And then, last night, as I curled up in my bed to read a bit before going to sleep the bugle played TAPS. I had never heard TAPS played at end of day before, only at funerals. And the power of the simple bugle playing just over the hill brought tears to my eyes.

I listened for the call again this morning. And after hearing the troops shout several times in the distance, Reveille played yet again. I smiled.

Went on a quick trip to LA and it worked out perfect because Mx needs a few things from storage for her new place. And of course it was record heat in LA when we needed to grab the couch and a few other things out of storage.




See the couch?




How about now?

And we were off!

Well, first of all I'm thankful that it seems my brother will finally be coming home from the hospital today, after being in there nearly a week. I think a day in a hospital is like dog years. A week is forever. So THANK YOU!!! Giving big thanks that the doctors got to the cause of the problem and everything seems sorted now.

I'm also thankful that my daughters are having a fabulous time with their grandma over the next few weeks.

And I'm also thankful for colorful characters. There is a very colorful character here, in our new neighborhood. He's a guy that owns the ice cream shop in town. I love him because he's not exactly who'd you expect. Once, around the dinner table, I described the ice cream shop as happy, all Beatles memorabilia EVERYWHERE and children's books like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan wrapped and hung on the walls and tie dyes and a pin ball machine and one of those mechanical horses that used to be outside of the grocery store when my girls were little. And of course lots of ice cream and sorbet and, something you might not expect...coffee. It's the coffee and his homemade waffle cones that are his passion. My family just looked at me and said the shop wasn't happy, it was weird. Talk about POV. See, what I was saying was, how strange I found it to be that a guy with such a happy store should be so cynical. I enjoy talking with him, though. You never know what he will say. It's usual pretty abrasive and opinionated.

After the BP oil spill he had a BP Sundae on the menu, four scoops of ice cream with an oil slick [chocolate syrup], on top. Said that the Mayan's were right, the world will end in 2012 because the oceans will all die because the oil would catch in the currents and kill all the small fish in the sea. Last week when I went in to buy a pound of his really amazing French Roast, I asked him how he was and he said that he's staying out of trouble. I asked how it was going. He said he's learned his lesson. That he spoke out against the war and that people stopped coming to his store. Told me there is no freedom of speech in America anymore. Went on and on about the Wikileaks folks.

Anyway, I'm thankful for colorful characters, even the ice cream shop man because he regularly takes me places that I don't expect, just like our favorite characters in our favorite stories, although my favorite tend to be weird and decidedly less cynical.

Which leads to today's question...Who's the most colorful character in your neighborhood?

Taken by Laura at The Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Laguna Seca Raceway in July

There's this little bud vase in my kitchen that sits empty. I always used to fill it with fresh-cut flowers from my garden at home, mostly Mexican marigold and Lavender, maybe a few daisies. But, now that we are on the road I don't really have my own garden anymore, so it sits empty. It's been a year since we sold our house down south. Traveling where the work takes us for even longer, almost three years now. Living lifestyles we never have before. Seeing which one fits for us as a couple.

When Mx returned from Italy, she started running along the ocean in the mornings. Every Monday she picks some wildflowers on her way home and puts them in my little bud vase. I hadn't even realized how long it sat empty.

Thought a celebration would be a great way to return from vacation! I'm celebrating my daughter's birthday today. Who knew so many years ago when I held her for the very first time that we'd be living on opposite coasts when she grew up. I'm so proud of her and all the adventures she's had in her life. She's truly happy and that makes me happy too! A mother's dream come true.

I didn't go anywhere on my blogcation this year. As we are in perpetual motion these days, it was vacation enough to settle into this new place and enjoy where we are here and now. I had adventures and learned new things about myself and about my dreams which is what all good vacations are all about.

I love Summer. Although I am missing the hotter than hot weather and that sort of light-headed, simpler-time feel I would get walking down Big Sur's wildflower-lined dirt roads, there's something special about walking down to The Bay and the feel of such an historical place. A friend gave me a great book about Steinbeck called JOHN STEINBECK, WRITER, A BIOGRAPHY by Jackson J Benson. It talks about the people who lived on the streets where we live. It talks about what went on here when Joseph Campbell [who would become one of the foremost authorities on mythology] had "decided to see something of the world and ended up broke and without any resources in Monterey" during The Great Depression and became friends with John Steinbeck and Doc Ricketts and the parties they would have. Their discussions were a form of recreational escape, during the time when Steinbeck was gathering material for TORTILLA FLAT and CANNERY ROW. In fact the book indicates that the party scene in CANNERY ROW might have been inspired by the party cooked up by John and Ed as Joseph's first drinking party.

It's good to be "back." Hope you all are having a wonderful Summer, filled with quiet moments and celebrations too!

There, hanging on a wall, within a shadow box was a Victorian human hair wreath. They were made in the 1800s as a way to remember ancestors before the invention of photographs. Curious? More here.

I can't believe that it's the last day of June! Summer is flying by! And I can't believe I've been asking questions for three whole months already on One Question A Day! Will I run out? I hope not:) Anyway, thanks to those who've stopped by for a little writing inspiration. I'll keep the questions coming. Wish me luck. My goal? To ask a year of questions [except on Sundays, when I write one Flash Fiction answer].

Friday is garbage day in our new neighborhood. And every Friday, so far, I've been working at my desk when the truck comes around. I know it's on it's way because I hear beautiful music. Classical music. When it pulls up to our house Mozart or Beethoveen or Chopin plays and my heart is lighter as the crash of bins and crunch of garbage follows.

It reminds me of a scene in an Oscar Award Winning documentary I watched about opera singers in San Francisco called In The Shadow of the Stars. There was this lovely scene of a garbage man practicing his part in the opera while riding around in his garbage truck on his daily rounds. It was beautiful.

As we move around sometimes the only thing that feels familiar are our traditions. What really makes a tradition, anyway? Seems like you have to to the thing more than once, right? Or, is it just that you did it once and it meant so much to you? Or that whatever you are doing brings back memories that are tied to the event somehow? We are having a housewarming party this Saturday from 2-6 PM and you are all invited. I'll be cooking Indonesian food, as I did for our last housewarming party in So Cal. I don't quite know why we never had a Barrelwarming party or a party when we moved to the South Coast of Big Sur, but, well, we are now.

Anyway, cooking Indonesian food is something my Dad taught me. He was born there. And now that I'll be making it for two housewarming parties, and we'll undoubtedly have lots of houses to, well, warm in the next few years, I believe I can say that we now have a housewarming tradition. And, it's all about the right spices. I'll be honest, it's not easy to find the exact spices that I need to make the food that I do. But, Dad, you'll NEVER believe it! I've got this GREAT place right in San Jose. The Holland Pastry & Gift Shop I only have to drive like 40 minutes:) If I had my act together I could just order online. AND YOU CAN TOO:) Ahhhh....you'll have your Seorundang soon!!!!

So I'm skipping to my car this morning to buy what I need for the fiesta on Saturday. Woohooo! I love skipping, I should do it more often.

on a sleepy little street there is a puzzle store called I'm Puzzled. We stumbled into the store on my birthday a few weeks back and hunted for a puzzle. I can't remember the last time I puzzled. Did lots of them with the kids when they were younger. As they got older they wanted to do their puzzles, usually of kittens or Disney characters, all by themselves. But flash forward about half-a-dozen years and we all have an opinion on the puzzle we'll buy. The runners up were a fantasy puzzle featuring what looks like Lancelot bowing to Guinevere; cowboys telling stories over a camp fire [the one I loved, yes, I actually had love for a puzzle]; Mx, our youngest now 20, loved the puzzle of Neuschwanstein Castle but it was Joe who won out. He loved the puzzle of bears being swarmed by butterflies. And its been a bit of an obsession. Every spare second we get you'll find us all huddled over the table trying to fit another piece. Cheering when we've made even the tiniest progress. I love puzzles and have mad love for puzzle stores.

Which leads to today's question...