Godmothers

 Next time you are in the Santa Barbara area be sure to visit Godmothers, a bookstore and outdoor cafe owned by Oprah. It is in Summerland and just one week ago today, Ginger Two and I met Gib, husband of our dear deceased friend, Joan, there for coffee. Of course I loved this place a whole bunch. 

Santa Barbara dog friends

 Ginger Two's Doodle, Skylar, is great fun and Betsy's mini Aussie, Echo, is as cute as can be. They go everywhere with my friends and are, in my opinion, very well behaved. Ginger is getting another Doodle next year because she always likes having two dogs. Annabelle and I feel that dogs are a lot of work and we prefer our easy one-only feline life.

aka Carp

 Ginger Two lives in Summerland and her friend Betsy in Carpinteria, a little beach town that I love. I stayed at the Best Western there and Betsy was good enough to be my Uber driver for the group events. And the two of us, along with Echo, her little dog, took a good beach walk. Betsy lives a block from the ocean. For some reason that rock formation in the top photo is called the Jelly Bowl and is a gathering spot for surfers and beach goers. Carp is great for walking ~ no hills and lots of little shops and restaurants in the downtown area. Plus, good memories for me.

back to Santa Barbara

 I need to post these memories before I forget who/what/where. Friday night we gathered at Ginger's for dinner which included left overs from the Palace event ~ it was a long and happy celebration We are thinking of another group travel, maybe a cruise in Africa. All talk. I'm just glad to be home currently.

Mi Lindo Peru

 Dinner last night with Barb and Doug at this really good local Peruvian restaurant. Fish soup, potatoes galore and a hearty beef/onion dish with onions and rice. All rather inexpensive, for San Francisco.We had much to discuss and so we did.

and another reunion

 I will bounce around a bit this week and we will return to Santa Barbara, I promise. Yesterday was the museum reunion with Pamela, Lauriel, Joe and me. We met at the Ferry Building and enjoyed lunch at the Fatted Calf with lots of fun memories and catch-up included. Of course we had to bash one or two of our bosses and fellow workers from the old days, all part of the "remember when?" process. 

the return home and the report

 Phew. Some technical difficulties this morning so I will start small. I had a GREAT time in Santa Barbara and here is my first photo is from Thursday night when we all met at the Palace for a boisterous dinner. Our Danube cruise manager (Daniel, on my left) was here from Budapest so he was the reason that we all gathered. And of course we were all delirious about the mid-term elections (well, except maybe one or two) and it was just plain fun to be together. I stayed at the Best Western in Carpinteria and that was a good choice because by now we all know that this blogger needs her privacy. Home late yesterday afternoon and my tenant Lorenzo left yesterday, so I will fix up Emma's Room for the next visitor, grand daughter Lindsay. Lunch today at Ferry Plaza ~ I must scamper, but I wanted to tell you all that I am back home and of course Annabelle was not happy that I had the audacity to leave her. We are reconnecting.