off she goes!

Ceci hopped in a Lyft last night for SFO to Miami to Peru. This is
the lightweight (her word) backpack. We had a nice, lazy day after
I finished my SPCA gig, then met Joe for lunch down at Charlie's
Cafe. Joe has been to Peru, so they had a LOT to talk about. Our girl
will return around Valentine's Day and will keep in touch using
What's App and a host of electronics.

Peru, Pumpkinville and the Blue Plate

back room at the Blue Plate

Ceci and granny

Blogmaid, CC and granny

Granddaughter CC flies off to Peru tonight. But first she needed a spot to
park her car and the Blogmaid family generously offered their driveway.
Now CC is here in SF, snoozing in the back room. We had a fine time
in Half Moon Bay and a delicious dinner last night at the Blue Plate over
on Mission where we could walk to and fro from grandmother's house.

Green's with grand daughter

Ceci and her friend Zack were here yesterday and since she is a vegetarian
I figured we should hit Green's again. Very nice lunch. Her mom Nancy
and dad Scott will be here on Wednesday.

I so enjoyed the Oscars last night. Green Book was my favorite movie
too and of course I'm a huge fan of Olivia and her speech was so genuine
and truly touching.

And a new week begins. We can do this thing.

her grandpa's voice

Husbando's memoirs are on cassette tapes, more than 150 of them. I
can't even touch these yet, let alone listen. I asked Ceci to organize
them and she started on this project Sunday. Of course she listened
and I did overhear and that was very difficult. But she would chuckle
and laugh out loud and I had to go back in the kitchen and ask what
he said. I believe he started this project back in 2004 and his voice
was strong and he was such a happy man at that time. His gift to us,
but way too soon for me to appreciate these tapes. At one point he
said, "I love the sound of my own voice."

up at the farm

flowers used to attract bees

broccoli (I think)

the work board inside the barn

Of course when the g.dot tells people that she farms, they think of marijuana
and there is plenty of that being grown in Nevada City. But Ceci's is a big and
REAL farm and we loved walking around and seeing the vegetables and
all the stories about her unusual life. She is so happy and has a loving
community of friends and her own little home with the orchard (and two
cats) in her backyard. And the modern touch, her co-workers use group texts to
let each other know where and what they are farming from day-to-day.

home with house guest

Nevada City Farmer's Market

Husbando in Nevada City ~ RIP

That was a good overnight trip. Ceci came home (she drove!) with
us and she in sleeping in now as I do my writing and cat snuggling.
Out of nothing, except a cauliflower from her farm, she tossed
together a delicious pasta for dinner last night. Tomorrow I will
tell you about her very satisfying life as a farmer. Ceci lives in a
tiny home with this orchard out back ~ she is scattering some of
her grand father's ashes under the persimmon tree. He loved
sunshine, persimmons and life itself.

a vibrant little city

After a three plus hour drive we are amazed at how much bigger and
busier Nevada City is now that it was years ago. Ceci drove us to a
fun pizza place and then it was early to bed. I did not take the photo
above, but that is how it looked last night. And it is cold!

the grand daughter returns

Ceci and her friend Zach spent Saturday night here and yesterday we had
breakfast down at the Precita Park Cafe. They were here for the famous
Hardly, Strictly Bluegrass Festival in GG Park. Annabelle especially loved
Zach and I know now that he speaks Catlish.

Saturday = Frank, then Ceci

Frank under glass

Ceci visits grandparents 

Yesterday morning was Frank's memorial service out at the Cypress Restaurant
in Harding Park. Soothing, sad and very well attended. As our friend Doug
said, "Frank was kind down to the bone." There was some lovely humor
too and I know we all felt better and thankful to be part of his life. Bad
photo of the montage that Neti made of Frank's life. Then our grand dot
arrived in the afternoon to brew us tea and fix all our eyeglasses with her
good eyesight and dexterous hands. Damn, those screws are tiny...

straight off the farm

Ceci a

Granddaughter Chef Ceci has been working on a farm up in Nevada City
so she can get more involved in the farm-to-table movement. It is hard
work, no pay and the interns have to use an outhouse. She and Jason (just
a friend) are here for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden
Gate Park and they joined us for breakfast down at the Precita Park Cafe
this morning. Such a delightful grand girl!

like a rolling stone

Grand dot Ceci was working for Morimoto in Napa, as you might remember.
Then she quit and went home to Elgin, Illinois for the holidays. She
texted us this photo yesterday while we were avoiding the great rain
storm here in SF. She is now working for Morimoto in Maui and we
see here that Chef Ceci is going to be happy for a little while, but she
gets restless and that's just who she is. Aloha!

such brave grandparents

Mission Pie Shoppe

Thanks, Mr. Bittman

G. dot Ceci and her friend Tim are both chefs who went to the Blues Festival
in GG Park yesterday (and today). Our job was to feed them, so we started
at the Mission Pie Shoppe for apple/berry pie (not shown), then made
Mark Bittman's salmon and red potatoes. Salad first, of course. Parsley is
such a help, and candles and, yes, we made it! They left early (7:30-ish) for
yet more music in Mill Valley and Ceci arrived home quietly and today
will fix breakfast. Husbando and I did dishes and complimented each other
on what great and smart grandparents we are and collapsed with TV.

It looks like our Giants are heading into a Wild Card game. I have nerves
of noodle again, yesterday's game was OUTSTANDING with a rookie
pitcher named Ty Blach. Thanks to Notthat for his help unravelling all
this baseball "who's in? who's out?" news. Oh, my...

Chef Ceci

Our grand daughter from Napa visited last night before going to a Blue
Grass concert in San Rafael. I love that she does these things alone,
she has no fear and boundless curiosity and love of life. We fed her
salad and pasta and talked of many things, including her new pet pig
(Jade) and her friends in Napa and beyond. Good times...

gardener grand daughter

Yesterday we visited Ceci in her Napa home. She has a delightful garden
growing there (lettuce, tomatoes, corn, squash, carrots) and she fed us a
lovely lunch of FRESH salad greens and then this Thai soup that she made
with gigantic shrimp, mushrooms and chrysanthemum greens. Cooking
is so easy for her, such a talent. Every time we see her she reminds us
more and more of her mother and on the way home Husbando called
Nancy to report in on Ceci and her life. A happy day indeed.

the butterfly lands

G.dot Ceci came for dinner last night and we loaded her up with our
old Vizio TV because we bought a new Smart Samsung yesterday. She
has signed a lease for a house up in Napa for a year (!) and this is a
cause for celebration because Ceci has a reputation and a history of
flitting around from place to place, job to job. Remember that she is a
chef and can always find work, but she is happy at Morimoto's where
she works very hard. We love hearing about her daily life, her new
friends and now her new home. This also means more visits from her
mama (Nancy) and papa (Scott). Good news all around. (Sorry about
another fuzzy photo, I need to start taking more than one, but I know
you appreciate the red candles and sparkles.)

g.dot likes the spices

We took Ceci to Holy Kitchen on 24th Street last night and I forgot
my iPhone (horrors!) so I didn't get a photo of her or any of the
dishes. (The above is a stock photo.) We did have chicken, lamb and
Plottie has taught us about the gobi (cauliflower and potatoes) so
we enjoyed that too. They were busier than usual and for that we
are thankful as the restaurant business is not easy.

g. dot comes to town

We met in Mandalay, our fave Burmese restaurant out at California and 6th.
(I always think of my friend Linda when I go there and I did yesterday too.)
Ceci is still happy being a chef up in Napa and plans to stay for awhile.
She did have a nasty burn on her arm, one of the problems with cooking and a
good reason for me to avoid stoves, pots and pans. Ceci is a delight!

sorrow, then joy

we didn't get the game on our TV, some peculiar channel

The Great Plotniks let me watch the game at their place yesterday, but
the results were not inspiring. We lost. But g. dot Ceci is here and she
cooked for us last night (chicken, yams, rice with kale) and today she
heads up to Napa for job interviews. I have a couple of last minute
pre-Paris tasks and I'm really getting excited. We leave tomorrow!
I know, I've been talking about this for almost a year, it's hard to
believe that it's actually happening.