“The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” … Josiyah Martin
“Stop being afraid of what could go wrong, and start being excited about what could go right.” … Tony Robbins
I decided this was the perfect post for two great beginnings this past 2 weeks … welcoming grandbaby #5, Molly: and my sister returning to college (Columbia University). What an amazing two weeks in NY it’s been with the Fab Raabs and JoAnn.
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
“The thing to do, it seems to me, is to prepare yourself so you can be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud. Somebody who may not look like you, may not call God the same name you call God – if they call God at all. I may not dance your dances or speak your language, but be a blessing to somebody. That’s what I think.” … Maya Angelou
This reminded me of a book club selection we read a long time ago … “The Rainbow Comes and Goes” by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt, his mom. “…Anderson’s darker outlook on the world is a brilliant contrast to his mother’s idealism and unwavering optimism.” If you haven’t read it, I recommend!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
Change is kind of like a potato …
Hard at first
Messy in the middle
Gorgeous in the end.
(from the Irish Times Women’s Podcast)
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I really enjoy the planning process of traveling and figuring out fun things to do wherever I’m going. Since I recently retired I can travel whenever I want to, so I decided to stay home this summer because I live in a beautiful area near the beach, and Europe (or anywhere for that matter) is so hot and full of tourists. Why not plan some fun things closer to home?!
I’ve been on the email list for Rooftop Cinema Club for what seems like years! Every time I go to NY I look at their website to see if a movie night might coincide with my trip, but it never works out due to a conflict with other plans or for whatever reason. When the list for LA came out at the beginning of the summer I thought “this summer I’m going to do one of those!” and found The Devil Wears Prada was going to be playing. I love that movie! I’ve also had the Huntington Library and Gardens on my “to-visit” list forever. This was the summer to cross both off my “bucket list!”
My friend, Jan, and I timed our drive up to LA to minimize traffic and arrive just in time for lunch and a stroll around Grand Central Market, a cool multi-vendor food emporium that’s been in existence since 1917.
My friend, Courtney, has an awesome loft in DTLA Arts District that she generously offered to me for an overnight stay. We dropped off our stuff and went up to the rooftop to read and enjoy the view.
The movie venue is on the rooftop of a “new-ish” industrial complex called Row DTLA, with a mix of restaurants and shops. It’s a quick walk from the loft, so we went over a bit early to grab dinner before the movie was to start at 7:30. I was curious how they were going to do an outdoor movie at 7:30 in the summer, when the sun would not have set yet. Well, I don’t know what sort of screen or technology that they use, but it was a sharp, crystal clear picture.
I loved the experience of sitting outside watching a movie as the sun set over LA. The movie choices are older, but I’d recommend it if you want something fun and different to do. They have popcorn, snacks and a bar too!
The next day was a scorcher, so we headed out at 9:30 to get to The Huntington in order to beat the heat. The extensive 130 acres are a beautiful mix of various themed gardens … japanese (with a tea ceremony demonstration), extensive rose garden, camellia, and desert, to name a few … as well as sculptures, stunning pergolas & pergodas, and of course art.
…. but one of my favorite things at The Huntington that day was the exhibit in the European Art building of the famous Blue Boy painting, (c. 1770) originally titled “A Portrait of a Young Gentleman,” juxtaposed with a painting by the talented Kehinde Wiley also called “A Portrait of a Young Gentleman.” He reimagined Blue Boy as an African American young gentleman in modern day clothing. The Huntington holds a special place in Wiley’s heart, as it is where he fell in love with art, but didn’t see anybody that looked like him. As it says on their website, “It is at once a love letter to art history—and a critique of it.” Just brilliant!!
Here are a few other pics I enjoyed …
It felt so good to be a tourist close to home and take advantage of a couple of the many opportunities that are available to us as Southern Californians. Hmmmm, what to do next?!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
The beauty you see in anything is a reflection of the beauty in you!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
Kind of cool to think that someone somewhere is having the best day of their life today.
Someone is hearing “I love you!” for the first time.
Someone’s going to get the job of their dreams today.
Someone received great news today.
Tomorrow could be YOUR best day … so keep on going!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
Happy Monday!!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
The price of anything
is the amount of life you exchange for it. … Henry David Thoreau
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
My nephew got married a few weekends ago in a beautiful ceremony atop a mountain with a stunning view in Oakville, California. The anticipation of the fun I would have with friends and family was palpible, so I decided to make a week-long vacation out of it to prolong the fun and savor every moment. I got on the home-exchange website and found the most adorable cottage in Kenwood (about a 1/2 hour from Napa) that was surrounded by a gorgeous, rose-filled, yard.
My best friend since first grade, Mary Kay, lives just outside of SF with her wife, Laura, and I haven’t been there in awhile (before covid), so I thought it would be fun to make an overnight pit-stop to visit them. We had a fun time catching up, enjoying some Rombauer chardonnay (my favorite!) that they bought for my visit, and ordered food from my favorite restaurant near them, Burma Superstar. If you’re ever in SF or the East bay I’d highly recommend getting a meal here, especially the Rainbow Salad, which I’ve made a couple of times here at home (lots of ingredients, but soooo delish!). MK had an early morning meeting, so I was up and out around 10ish to continue my journey up to wine country. I made another pit-stop in Petaluma because I remembered how quaint and fun the downtown area was from my time living in SF back in college. Well, a word of advice, don’t go to Petaluma on a Monday because nothing is open. I found one store and actually thanked them for being open and the sales girl said, “Oh, yeah, I always feel bad for tourists that come on Mondays. Everything is closed, literally!” So, it wasn’t a long stop, before continuing on my way. I arrived in Kenwood around noon, met the home’s lovely owner, and then they were on their way to SF for a little staycation. Home exchanging is the best!
I spent the afternoon in the backyard enjoying our book club choice, The Covenant of Water, before heading out to dinner. It was Monday, so I had done some research before the trip to find the perfect place for Pizza Monday. I found a spot right around the corner, Red Rooster Pizza, that was affiliated with VJB cellars. They close at 4, so I ordered a pizza-to-go at 3:30 (too early for dinner.) The cashier asked if I wanted to do a wine tasting in the adjacent room while I waited, which I declined and told her I’m pretty much just a chardonnay gal. She gave me a taste of their chardonnay and I loved it. I got a glass while I waited in their lovely courtyard, and ended up enjoying it so much that I became a member of their wine club! You can only get VJB at their tasting room or as a wine club member, so why not! I went back to my little cottage and had a lovely Pizza Monday in the peaceful backyard.
I did two more tastings while I was in Kenwood, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. On Tuesday I took a short drive to Matanzas Creek, where I was hoping to see their blooming lavender fields, but, alas, due to the May gray & June gloom, they hadn’t flowered yet. I did have another lovely chard though, enjoyed the views of Bennett Valley and brought home some delicious lavender honey. It’s a cool venue where you can bring a picnic and also has bocce ball courts.
Wednesday morning I took a drive over to Sebastopol to The Barlow Market because MK had recommended it. It looked cool and the pics on their website really reminded me of ROW DTLA (if you haven’t been it’s also a fun place to shop/eat too in the downtown LA arts district). I wandered around there a bit, popping in to the cute shops, grabbed a coffee at Taylor Lane and a baguette at Red Bird Bakery before making my way to Sonoma for a tasty Mexican lunch at El Molino Central in Sonoma with my sister, brother-in-law and their daughter-in-law to be and her dad … then back to the cottage for a quiet evening.
So many of the wine tastings in Napa, Sonoma and the surrounding areas, have gotten so expensive. I called one place that was recommended to me and the tasting was $75! No thanks! Instead, for my Thursday wine event, I found a place, again right around the corner from the cottage, at Mayo Family Winery Reserve Room, that had an $80 tasting & food pairing menu. It was DElish! I’ve really come to enjoy the food pairings that accompany wine tastings because the difference from the first taste, without food, to the second and subsequent ones with food are so interesting. The last tasting is at 4:30 … something about a deal with all the local restaurants that the wineries will stop serving food before 6, so as not to compete … which made it feel like happy hour, but it was really tasty (…and thankfully they also give you a spittoon to use, so you’re not totally hammered from drinking 7 generous pours of wine.) As I said, I’m a Chard girl, but I loved the Sauv Blanc at Mayo and brought home a bottle to share with my “wine friday” friends.
Friday I made my way over to The Harvest Inn in St. Helena where I was staying, along with many of the wedding guests, who were arriving for the big weekend! I’m not sharing wedding pics, but here are a few from the magical weekend.
I think it’s safe to say that an AMAZING time was had by all! My feet are still recovering from the dancing.
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
The quality of life is in direct proportion to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift for paying attention.
live in the moment … stop and smell the roses … and be grateful for what this Monday brings
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!