MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, PLUS

"A flash of color beneath the sky:

Hats off!

The flag is passing by!"

Henry Holcomb Bennett - "The Flag Goes By"

Main Street, U.S.A.

(West Main Street, Grass Valley, California 95945)

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We made another trip to Santa Cruz this weekend to see Jake and Jacinda off to his Senior Prom:

They looked so handsome and pretty.  They are just the sweetest and most delightful couple. So respectful of each other.

And so grown up!

We also took Tami out to a fresh fish birthday dinner on the Santa Cruz Wharf.

She wanted to thank you all who wished her happy birthday greetings.

After dinner we took a stroll on the wharf and saw some local characters:

This is Mama and Baby Sea Otter.  It was such a sweet sight.  At first, we thought the baby was dead but a local fisherman was there to set us straight.

The baby was sleeping.  He lays on his back while Mama pushes him where she wants him to go.  She would leave him for a little while and dive under the water to get a mouthful of barnacles that were attached to the bottom of the wharf.  She would then surface, turn over in the water a few times, and then come and move the baby with her head, all the while crunching on the barnacles.  We could hear it loud and clear from up on the wharf.  When she was through eating she would wrap her arms around the baby and move away a bit.  Then she would start the process all over again.

Finally, she wrapped the baby in her arms and headed out under the wharf.  I guess it was time for bed.

Further down there was a small colony of sea lions, lazing on the pier but protesting loudly to something or other.  They are so funny and really have the sweetest little faces.

I think Mom and Dad  were calling Baby for straying too far from their watchful eyes.

This is a portion of the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk as seen from the Santa Cruz Wharf.

We could hear all the happy screams from the people riding the Giant Dipper and other numerous rides and attractions and, of course, the lucky ones playing in the surf and laying on the beach.

It was a very relaxing and fun filled weekend.  

From our Cottage to yours, hope you had a fun and safe weekend too....Judy

Honor the men and women who have served their country...and remember those who have fallen in the line of duty...

I am linking up with the following this week:

Your Cozy Home Party

Wow Us Wednesday

What's It Wednesday

Home and Garden Thursday

Home Sweet Home

Feathered Nest Friday

Saturday Show Off

Seasonal Sundays

MORNING GLORIES

Nature's Trumpets.

Morning Glories greet the day with glad tidings.

"When she saw the Dawn Flower of the French Riveria for the first time, she could hardly contain herself.  It rioted over everything, as though someone had torn great masses out of the morning sky.  It was so blue, so blue....

Riginald Arkell - "Old Herbaceous" - 1951

"A morning glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books."

Walt Whitman - "Song of Myself"

"The morning glories decided to open all at once.  One bright morning the wall was Nantucket blue, the bell-shaped luminous flowers as smooth as a silky morning gown."

Anna Raver - "Deep in the Green"

"In it's first radiance I have seen the sun!../

I go my way, content that I have been part of the morning light!"

Florence Early Coates - "The Morning Glory"

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Our real life Morning Glory....

"She rises with the dawn/

And goes about her day...

With a joy and a zest for living./

She is as bright as the morning sun/

And as sweet and thoughtful

As any parent could hope for...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAMI

We love you,

Mom and Dad

I hope that all your mornings are glorious...Judy

I'm linking up this week with:

Cottage Garden Party

And

A Return to Loveliness

What's It Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Inspirations from Victoria Magazine, May 1998, 2008, 2009, 2012

I must admit that all the morning glory pictures are from last year. This year's crop is shown above, but with the sunshine and now that we have to start watering, they will be as showy in no time.

KITCHEN UPDATE #3 (I THINK!)

Hi Everyone:




This will be a very short one, well, for me anyway! Once we leave tomorrow morning to pick up SIL's truck, I won't have much time until next week to talk to you so am sneaking one in.

They came today to install our countertops. I am so happy with them. I think they are beautiful and look as close to marble as I could get. See what you think?

Oh, I'm so sorry. Looks like I cut the shot short. Here, let me try again.

Is that better?  No?  Well, that's all I took so guess you'll have to wait for--the big reveal.  

I did get some straightening up done, though, while we are waiting for the doors to get done.

I have always wanted a plate rack so we are leaving the doors off over the stove and I ordered this little beauty from  LaurieAnna's Vintage Home.  She has the sweetest things in her shop and I just love it. Can't see it very well, you say? My answer to that is you'll have to wait for--the big reveal.  

Here is my vignette on top of my 'blingy' frig.  We had a TV on top for so many years that I haven't had to display anything up there. So don't be surprised if it changes before--the big reveal.

We did get the ceiling painted and it looks so bright and clean now. I really would like to get rid of that old fan, but in this old Cottage there isn't a whole lot of insulation and it gets very warm in the summer, so the fan stays. I, myself, would sweat it out for beauty's sake but Mr. Captain Practical says otherwise.

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Also, I wanted to share with you how the garden has exploded in the last few days.

One of the David Austin roses.

Another David Austin rose.

Roses by any other name.

The Cecil Bruner rose bush

See those nasty little white things on the rosebud? You know what those are, probably only too well.  Well, every year they are all over the roses, but then in a twinkling,   these little sweethearts show up and the aphids are history.

I don't know who they are or what they are, I'm just so happy to see them..I call them My Little Magic Bugs..And everyone I talk to don't know what they are and most of them have never even seen them, but yet their roses are covered in aphids.  There must be something magical about GoldCountryCottage.  If anyone out there knows anything about these precious things, I'd be happy to hear.

Well, this post went from short to long so I'll say good night and settle in to watch "Dancing With The Stars".

Hope you all are enjoying the week...Judy

I'm linking up with:

Feathered Nest Friday

A WAR AGAINST BREAST CANCER

I have mentioned in some of my previous posts that our daughter, Tami, is a breast cancer survivor.  She has been free of cancer for the past 8 years.

After she was diagnosed and completed her surgery and radiation treatments, she decided that the 'Big C' wasn't going to get the best of her and she joined the Avon organization, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, San Francisco division.  The walk is held every July in San Francisco for a 2 day period.  It starts at Event Eve on Friday evening, where everyone signs up and then at around 5:30 on Saturday morning all participants meet at a designated place and have a light breakfast, with opening ceremonies and then the start of a 26 mile walk.

At the end of the day, there is a huge catered dinner and entertainment.  A lot of the participants then camp in tents for the night and then leave again, after a good breakfast, for another 13 mile walk on Sunday morning.

Around 3 PM on Sunday, after everyone has crossed the finish line, the closing ceremonies take place.  There are guest speakers and the total of the money raised, and where it goes, is announced.  Normally, between 4 and 5 million dollars is raised for the weekend.

I have supported Tami every year in her endeavor, not with walking, but as a Crew member.  Let me tell you, it is a grueling task, but one that is very rewarding.  My job is relatively simple.  I am a member of the Hospitality team.  That means a lot of cheering and encouraging of the walkers and we are literally on our feet from 5 AM to 8 PM Saturday and 6 AM until 3 PM Sunday.

There are approximately 400 crew members with different jobs, ranging from manning the route, rest stops, setting up tents, tearing down tents, serving food and making sure there is plenty of water and gatorade for participants to drink throughout the event.  When the Hospitality team is finished cheering the walkers out and in the gates, we then aid every other team that needs help.

Tami and I do not tent.  We stay in a nice hotel in San Francisco, The Westin, where we have hot showers and a comfortable bed to sleep in.  That is not to say that Avon doesn't provide hot showers for the participants, but usually it is cold and foggy.  Thanks, but no thanks!

I tell you it is an eye opening experience to hear the stories and see the many participants who are undergoing chemo or have just finished.  There are a great number of brave and courageous souls in this world and it certainly puts everything in perspective.

This is just a little bit of the background of what goes into a walk of this kind.  Over the past 8 years, Tami has raised a total of $14,400 plus to benefit the Avon Breast Cancer Foundation.  For each walk she has to raise $1800.  She relies on donations from family and friends and one of the ways she raises a good majority of the money is through an annual garage sale.  This is where the Captain and I come in.

We don't have a pickup, we just have a small SUV, so we trade vehicles with our SIL so we can load up with the junk(other people's treasures) to sell.  We are meeting him half way in the middle of our two homes to exchange vehicles on Wednesday.  Then we will drive back home and fill up the truck and then drive back down to Santa Cruz on Friday, and the sale is on Saturday.  Tami sends out flyers to all of her neighbors and before long their garage is full to the rafters with stuff that they have contributed.  She has girl friends who stop by and help sell, one's who have walked with her in the past, and Jake and his friends spread the word around, as only healthy, young boys can!

Hopefully the sale will be a success this year, as it has been in the past, and she will be able, once again, to do her part in the war against breast cancer.

So, reminiscent of the Beverly Hillbillies:

Ma and Pa have loaded up the truck, and goin down the mountain to the young uns and we's goin to have us a Garage Sale...

Have a great weekend....Judy

Am linking up this week with:

Wow Us Wednesday

Show and Tell Friday

Saturday Showoff