Life On The Central Coast

(If you click on the picture, you can read what I've written better)

One of the things on my New Years resolution list was taking djembe lessons. About 2 years ago I bought my drum and seldom played it even though it beckoned daily. When the year began I was trying to weed through the things in my life I wanted to do and begin clearing out those things that no longer interested me. There was that drum. So I got on the phone, called Drum School 101, and had Steve Smith set me up with weekly 1/2 hour lessons. It was one of the best things I ever did. My instructor, Wyatt Lund, is patient, challenging and thoroughly educated in everything drum. I have learned so much and had such fun. I tease my husband telling him I get to take off my wedding ring for a 1/2 hour every week, sit in a very small room with another man and "beat it"..... the drum that is. When I'm done with the lesson, I have a BIG smile on my face! It's my plan to evaluate at the end of the year and see if it's still something I want to continue. I'm sure it w

Everyday I feel so thankful I have good eyesight. Now that I'm aging a bit, I can tell my eyes are changing too, but so far, no real need for glasses. Throughout my day, I see things, things I want to record for others to see. I love to take pictures of the everyday as well as the special events and things in my life. So when my good friend, Janine told me I should enter some of my pictures in the New Times 14th Annual Photo Contest, I figured, WHY NOT?? For me, you don't have to win a contest to prove you have talent. Hey, I'm a hit and miss kind of gal... PROBABLY ALOT LIKE YOU!! That makes me an ordinary person trying my best to make the extraordinary. Lucky for me, I have the opportunity to share my pictures with this blog and my strictly photography blog, Capturing Light & Life. I also share on Flickr and have actually had requests for some of my photos to be put in their groups. So my good friends, here are the pictures I chose to put into the contest along w

Yesterday, I shared on Facebook that I was making Brownie Swirl Cheesecake and found several people who wanted a piece so today, I'm going to share the recipe and the pictures with you. It's not hard to make and the results are to DIE for!! Recipe: 1 Pkg. (8oz.) Brownie Mix (make according to the package directions for chewy fudge brownies) 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened 1/2 C. Sugar 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract 2 Eggs 1 C. melted milk chocolate chips Whipped cream and miniature chocolate kisses, optional Step 1: Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Mine called for an egg, 1/2 c. water and 1/3 c. Vegetable oil. Oh, and we CAN'T forget that package of fudge included in the box. Remember, its whatever brownie mix you choose to use. Mix according to box directions, mine said, "stir about 40 times". It ends up looking pretty put together, I was surprised! And here it is in the 9" Springform pan after cooking for 15 min. at 350 degrees. (The

It rained for the first time in months today. Hopefully the start of something good. California has been in a drought for YEARS and if we don't get some rain this year, there will be water rationing. It began as a few showery drops, light, fresh washing off the months of accumulated dirt and grime on windows, cars, tree leaves and roads. Pretty soon the gutters were full and flowing the gravity pulling the water down towards the ocean and low lying patches of ground. Puddles formed ever larger, dotted with the circular patterns of falling droplets like holes in Swiss cheese. Children in raincoats and boots find these irresistible! And then, while driving the backroads, you come up and over a hill and out before you is the MOST beautiful site....rows and rows of wine grapes soaking up all the wet goodness, adding to the juicy sweetness of the grapes that will be pressed into wine. And life is good. I can't wait to buy a bottle of wine from Edna Valley Winery and sa

Halloween...it's on the horizon. Stores are going all out with candy, costumes and decorations. Kids are practicing their very best, "Trick or Treats" and making costumes ready for the big night. Church's are organizing carnivals in an attempt to keep kids off the street and safe. My kids participated in Halloween until they were way to old to really get away with Trick or Treating and they loved every minute of it. Frankly, so did I! But now that they are grown, I've started a new tradition in my home. It's loosely based on El Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. I spend October "re-membering." I read somewhere that as long as someone is alive to say your name and remember you, you are not truly dead. Dead here I think would mean forgotten and unknown. When October comes, I get out my Family Tree and as many pictures as I can find of family that has passed on, and I say their names and think about them and the stories I have heard. I'm k

Sogno "Dream" English Translation Go, I will wait for you The flowers in the garden mark the time Here I will draw the day of your return You are so sure of my love You take it away with you Cupped in your hands When you touch your face As you still think of me And if you need to, you can show the world The world that doesn't know what life there is In an uncaring absent heart Doesn't know what life there is In that only the heart can feel Doesn't know. Here I will wait for you And steal kisses from time Time is not enough to erase The memories and the desire that Remains closed in your hands That you bring to your face. You still think of me It will follow you and passing me in the city I'll still be here Dreaming of things that I don't know about you. Where is the road that you will take on your return I dream Here I will wait for you And steal kisses from time I dream A noise, the wind awakens me And you're already here. Sogno Va ti aspettero Il fio

Facing yet another wash day it got me thinking..... I wonder what the history of the washing machine is? Are you ready ladies........ and gents?? Ancient people cleaned their clothes by pounding them on rocks or rubbing them with abrasive sands; and washing the dirt away in local streams. This sounds cold, wet and back is hurting just watching the manual labor. As crappy as this sounds, there are plenty of people still doing laundry this way! Look, in that bunch of women is a MAN and I think I see a boy helping too! You could simulate soap by using the roots of the Soapwort plant usually found growing around streams and rivers. The earliest washing "machine" was the scrub board invented in 1797. Don't you LOVE the word machine here? I mean.... the PEOPLE were basically the machine, the board was the tool! Hand operated washing machines.... Water could be drawn, brought in and put in a basin or kettle, warmed (??), and then wishy-washy, wishy-washy and all the clothes were