Monday, January 04, 2010

Home again...

Just before we left on our trip I got these little owls finished up.
This is the second owl I made, a solo portrait.
I made this "Milagro Heart" for Michele at MUSE in St. Helena. Somehow I forgot to get a photo of the finished product...sewn up and stuffed. I delivered it on our way home and got to see her delightful store before heading to San Francisco.
We took a family hike on Christmas Day to these wonderful rocks in the pines near our home. The boys used to hide in the rocks and climb all over them when they were little.
This is a night time photo of our hot springs pool where we stayed in Calistoga. On New Years Eve they let us stay in the pools until 12 midnight. If you look closely you can see the bathers in the pool...most with wine glasses!
Checkers still is our favorite restaurant. I think I had one of their fresh greens salads every time we visited-boys like their pizza.
The Model Bakery in St. Helena always makes a great gingerbread house for their window. Even after Christmas it still looked good!
Had to go take a quick look at Vintage Home's windows. I did buy a couple of mushroom ornaments at $2. each and looked at all the cool things inside. They have quite a collection of Steiff animals and Elsa Beskow books...both things I loved from my childhood. My father used to buy me Steiff animals for Christmas every year and I had quite a collection. I loved opening their special boxes and being surprised to see what was inside. I still have a few that have survived all my many moves over the years.


New Years Day was rainy but perfect for a visit with my pal Susan Duquette at the CIA headquarters..that's the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena. Once the Christian Brothers Winery it houses classrooms, a gift shop and wonderful restaurant where Susan and I had a delicious lunch. It helped that Susan works there and we got some special treats including the best grape juice I've ever had in my life!
As we were leaving Calistoga I had to get a shot of this ART CAR! Covered in every imaginable figurine including cootie bugs, buddhas, lobsters and angels...even the inside was decorated with flowers and vegetables.
The front hood...
Heading for home over the Golden Gate bridge......and back to life in Santa Barbara...sunny and warm-75 degrees and folks swimming in the ocean when I went for my beach walk yesterday!

4 comments:

Peggy said...

Hi Mary,
I've been wanting to write you for awhile now. I've been following your blog for about a year and I just love it. I am a migraine headache sufferer and don't leave the house much because I have so many headache triggers. Art blogs have been my connection with the outside world. So thanks for all your lovely pictures and words and posting regularly.

Momz Wool Rug Hooking Studio said...

I agreed Peggy, I love to follow this blog, lots of bright colors and unique styles.

Corinne

Marie said...

Your vacation must have been fun!
Seeing the rocky trail you walked
when the boys were younger made me smile. I have driven across the San
Francisco Bridge so many times! Love
Sausilito. Your milagro heart is fabulous!

Alice ~ Folk Art Primitives said...

Your holiday vacation looked wonderful! Your hooked hearts are wonderful!! And 78 degrees would be really wonderful!! Happy 2010 to you and yours!