and MORE dumplings

 Granddaughter Samantha and I had a lovely late lunch yesterday back at Dumpling Story on Valencia Street. She is full of plans which include (alas) a move to Florida and yes, we will miss her and Luke and the big old doodle Harlow so much. And they will miss the Bay Area, that much I know for sure.

a GRAND Saturday

 Grand daughter Ceci and her husband Zak came down from Nevada City yesterday for a concert last night in Oakland. We had a delicious late lunch at The Dumpling Story over on Valencia Street. Then g.dot Samantha arrived at my house as she was joining her cousins for the concert. Manageable chaos with these vibrant souls. 

Calamari anyone?

 

Granddaughter Lindsay (top, left) is here from NYC and we had a lovely pre-Easter dinner at La Ciccia, a wonderful Italian restaurant over on 30th Street. We had lots of pasta and lamb and the middle photo is a delicious calamari. Lots to talk about and such a happy celebration. The sisters are off to Big Sur this morning ~ Lindsay very happy with our gorgeous weather. A delightful evening for sure.

late lunch by the Bay

 Scott, Nancy and I went out to Mission Rock yesterday for a late lunch and some cool ocean breezes. The heat wave continues through Friday, or so they say. So nice to have family here for a few days and they were not missing the Chicago weather. 

more food, more family

 Last night we met Samantha and Luke at Daejo, the Korean restaurant in Japantown. Yes, we ate too much and enjoyed that delightful and unusual cuisine. You can see the cheese melting all over the stew in the bottom photo.  

my sunny city

 Step daughter, Nancy, and her husband, Scott, left a cold and rainy Illinois yesterday morning and all they wanted was sun. Success. We had a good walk at Fisherman's Wharf and an early dinner at the Crab House at Pier 39. Of course it's a "tourist place" but we were impressed and happy with the food and service. I look forward to taking Sister Jane to the Crab House on her next visit. The "kids" will be here for a week but plan to visit their daughter Ceci up in Nevada City for a few days. 

and some grand noodles

 Samantha and Harlow dropped by yesterday afternoon and she taught me how to make Cup Noodles which are really quite tasty. Oh, she brought some of her homemade sour dough bread too and that is really excellent. Harlow was pooped after a beach run. Sam and Luke will be moving to Florida after he graduates this summer and I am trying to be a good sport and accept this. Tampa to be exact, we looked at a map ~ it is very far away. Sigh.

a grand dinner

 Granddaughter Samantha, her husband Luke and I had a fine dinner down at Precita Social last night. Luke graduates from Stanford Law School this summer and his career will be taking off. A very exciting time for these two wonderful people. Such good fortune that they landed here for three happy years.

the grand visit

 Granddaughter Samantha baked sour dough bread and brought me a sample yesterday afternoon. She is always such a breath of fresh air. Before this I did my Turbo Tax thing and am relieved to have that done. It is good to lead the simple life in so many respects. 

the newlywed grands

 Heidi and I drove down to Burlingame yesterday for brunch with Samantha and Luke. A really nice time and delicious food at Alana's Cafe. The best news is that the family will gather at my house again for Thanksgiving and we all hope that Sister Jane will be here too. I will start bugging her now. By the way, they have sunshine everyday in Burlingame, 20 minutes away. 

scenes from Chicago

 Details tomorrow,  I promise. The wedding was wonderful and the family exceedingly warm, loving, thoughtful and (well) a bit crazy. It was hot. The ceremony was beautiful and the airports and planes were packed, but all smooth and yes, I am so happy to be home where it is currently 62º and sunny and lovely. Thanks to Mr. and Ms. Blogmaid for picking me up at SFO yesterday and to Annabelle for being her adorable me-first self. Courtyard Hotel Downtown/River North was expensive but ideal. So glad I could use Lyft to remain independent and I love all cities ~ Chicago seemed somehow extra vibrant and alive with outdoor cafes and tons of sparkling lights at night. Thanks to you who encouraged me to go and who knew I would have a great time, and I did. You know who you are. LOVE.

pre-packing (again)

 Early Thursday morning I fly to Chicago for a lot of family and the grand daughter's wedding. It seems like I just unpacked, but off I go. Annabelle has been acting odd and of course she prefers that I stay home and feed her every ten minutes. I do love Chicago and this big imperfect family that Bill gave to me on our wedding day. 

family visit ~ coffee and chit chat

 The four to my left were heading to ski in Tahoe and stopped by early for breakfast snacks and plenty of family gossip. Sarah is my step DIL and Samantha's mother ~ visiting from the East Coast. Lots of wedding talk as Luke and Sam will be marrying in June in Chicago. Therein lies another vast amount of planning and of course I will be going and visiting my favorite Art Institute again.

grand daughter visit

 My eyes are closed in the above photo so it must have been nearing 8pm. Samantha dropped by for dinner last night and we talked about everything. She and Luke are getting married in June in Chicago and yes, this will be my 3rd wedding of the century. Sam has been to both Budapest and Prague and gave me some travel tips, mostly regarding which sleep medication to take on the airplanes and to get a neck pillow, etc. 

my city sparkles

 Yesterday Nancy, Scott and I poked around in the Ferry Building for a few hours, stopping for lunch and a little smart shopping. Then we met Samantha and Luke in Burlingame for some Burmese food at Yangon ~ that little city is jumping this time of year. The bottom photo was taken at 5:15 last night courtesy of Barb and Doug and her photography skills. From their back deck and really, how could we live anywhere else? And today, pure catch-up as family flies back to cold weather in Illinois.

a full day with rain

 Yesterday Nancy, Scott and I had a good and relaxing time at the Legion of Honor and paid our respects to Mary Cassatt and some of my former co-workers. We had an early dinner at Tacolicious on Valencia Street and today they are headed up to Placerville to visit with their daughter, Ceci (and Zac) and I will return to playing catch-up here in my cozy home.

more holiday red...

 ...and more family. Yesterday step daughter, Nancy, and her husband, Scott, flew in from chilly Illinois and after a walk at the new India Basin Park we met Samantha and Luke for dinner at Delfina's in Burlingame. Delicious pizza and family gossip and pre-planning the June wedding of Bridezilla Sam and Luke in Chicago in 2025. 

The Gift

Maybe 20 years ago I found this already worn and loved book in a fabulous bookstore in Ojai. I have always been a Mary Oliver fan and I decided that I will now carve out some poetry time during this holiday season. On Thanksgiving my step-almost-grandson-in-law Luke read this poem and I have been appreciating it again and again since that warm and happy day. And I bequeathed this book to Luke...

                   THE GIFT

Be still, my soul, and steadfast.
Earth and heaven both are still watching
though time is draining from the clock
and your walk, that was confident and quick,
has become slow.

So, be slow if you must, but let
the heart still play its true part.
Love still as once you loved, deeply
and without patience. Let God and the world
know you are grateful. That the gift has been given.

+ Mary Oliver

Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

 OK, our final family goodbye last night with Rob, Samantha, Sarah, Luke and your faithful blogger. Today I get busy with holiday cards and acupuncture this afternoon. This has been quite a whirlwind, but a good one for sure. (And yes, we all loved Emmy's last night!)

and don't forget Harlow

 We certainly had a busy fun-filled Thanksgiving and Sister Jane was a big help to the grand girls who were "doing" their first big turkey meal. So funny to see the three (Lindsay, Samantha and Luke) using their iPhones for the recipes they had selected. Harlow the Doodle was just wherever she wanted to be, usually in the way, but what a clown. Rob and Sarah arrived after the crazy cooking time and so the seven of us enjoyed a delicious meal and a few laughs, of course. Jane has now inherited a new family who love her already.