Esther My Mother

This weekend was my mother's Birthday.. she is 77 this year. The past several years have been

very difficult for her and her health and our family..Family dynamics change when there is a illness. It has been hard.

Esther my mother is French. Born to Claude and Rafaela Croissier who's parents were french immigrants who moved to Cuba and owned a sugar plantation. I wondered this weekend as I sat on her bed talking to her and going over old photos and thinking of my childhood and hers ...just how certain memories stay with you forever..and how your interpretations of events that happened in the past often take on a life of thier own in each others memories and hearts......what I saw and felt was often viewed and felt differently by my parents....how we all see the world in our own eyes and can never really see through anothers.....We moved like gypsies all thru the U.S due to my fathers job transfers...The excitement of the new adventures ahead..stayed with me and shaped my reaction to change..and adaptabilites to differant people and places..They were good experiences.

We had good times and bad, but we were a family and I knew she always was there for me. My mother and I are very differant..we are not made from the same cloth..but we have gifts we share, that connect us and help us understand each other in some ways more than others ..I wanted to salute my mother today in my blog...and say thank you to her. Esther my beautiful mother that I love.

Fabulous Designer Give Away!!!!!

Just a heads up !! Gwynnie B Designs is having a give away!!!

I absolutely love all her jewlery...Gwynnie's jewlery is featured in several fine galleries here on the Central coast....and this is her first giveaway...a chance to own one of her designs ! she fairly new to blog land..so pls stop by and leave her a comment!

Don't forget to look at her on line shop to see all the eye candy!!! some really amazing designs!....

http//gwynniebdesigns.blogspot.com/

Hike by the Sea

You can see Hearst Castle on the tip of the mountain if you click to enlarge! Amazing Eucaliptus groves!!

Isn't this just beautiful...a beach just for you!

The San Semion Pier is in the back!!

Well, last weekend my hubby and I went on a gorgeous hike by the sea in San Simeon ( Hearst Castle beach) We went on this hike with a group of our good friends that we usually play poker and take turns hosting dinner at each others house ...We are a crazy bunch! anyways...we decided to hike this weekend, and we could not have had a better day either...like a spring day..not too hot..clear and sunny ..and the views from this trial were just spectacular...there are lot of Eucalyptis trees towering all along the trial so the air has this amazing scent combined with the sea ! We all keep wondering if we could camp out on the ridge some night there...I would if I had my big dog Toby with me for protection ...( I worry more about the people than animals..you just don't know..but thats just me..) I generally am not a camper..because I like nice clean bathrooms and showers,,,,sleeping on the ground hurts my back..then my phobia of strange people lurking in the dark..hummmmmm .... ...but this place I certainly would make an exception! Enjoy the pictures! click to enlarge and see the details of the scenery!!!! Have a great day!

Look What I recieved Today!!!

I just recieved my beautiful gift from Emilie at Emilie paper Fancies .

I have always admired her beautiful creations and was so excited to have won these two

perfect gifts!! I entered the giveaway with a sigh.saying ... wish I could win this one.

I never win anything usually and....I won!!! They are even more beautiful than in pictures ..and I haven't yet decided where they will be ..but for now they will be on my kitchen table flower arrangement until I decide and can enjoy them each morning with my coffee!

Thank you sooo much Emily you made my day today

Harmony Pictures part 2

The glass blowing workshop

the Pottery Barn..so many amazing Pottery artist have thier work here!

This octopus was just incredible...if you enlarge the picture you can see in the background a bathroom sink made form glass and encrusted with shells...

hand made pottery These are amazing bunnys....the pictures ( my photography abilities....)

do not do them justice

Just a sample of the smaller glass work these are wine bottle stoppers and they also make blown glass pens!

The Glass Shop/Barn

Harmony population 17

I love this door! Its very old and crackled and aged just right........

Inside the wedding chapel

The entrance to the chapel, can't get these pictures in right order ....

Outside the tiny post office

Well this weekend there was a garage sale in one of my favorite towns here.. Harmony. A garage sale to safe the Post office..which is currently closed...A small ghost of a town..but very Much alive in history and beauty...Harmony....population 17...!

History:

The Town of Harmony grew up around a dairy, founding in 1869.Until 1907 the creamery changed hands several times. In these early days rivalries and feuding among dairy farmers caused chaos in the valley. After one shooting death, a truce was called. All agreed to live henceforth in harmony, and from this the name of the towne was derived.
In 1901 M. H. Salmina established the Harmony Valley Co-operative Dairy. The town of Harmony prospered with this business. In its heyday, the village boasted a large residence for management, bunkhouses for employees, a general store, a livery and stable, blacksmith, feed store, post office and a school house.
The Harmony Dairy produced besides milk and cream some of the finest butter and cheese in the state. In those days, Highway 1 ran right through the town and motorists were treated to ladles of buttermilk from the dairy.
William Randolf Hearst was a familiar face as he stopped off for fresh dairy products on his way to his ranch. Rudolf Valentino and Pola Negra stopped in Harmony on their way to visit Hearst.
Eventually, the dairy business shifted to San Luis Obispo, and in the late 1950s Harmony Dairy was closed. For many years the town was abandoned with the exception of the post office which remained open.
Restoration began in 1972

A Pottery shop and a Glass blowing shop are the only business there....but the charm of days gone by can be seen in the old buildings and the small wedding chappel and gazebo..the town is surrounded by the famous hills of our area..now brown, but ater the rainy season its as green and lush a English countryside...miles of green rolling hills..The cows are grazing all around and you really feel like you stepped back in time when you go there....I just love this town..tucked away from the world...my kind of town. I went with my friends Mary and Julie..to see what we could find...I bought a funky white button mosaic lamp with burlap shade for $1 and a vintage large bucket..I did not take a picture of them yet....... I did take pictures of the beautiful town and the the 2 shops for you to see!

A Day Out with the Girls!!!!!!

Martha is in heaven!!! Julie is our photographer...( make me look Skinny Julie! )

I can't decide on a color...hummmmmm

what beautiful feet!!! Lets go shopping!!!!

There is nothing like a girls day out...when your feeling a little blue....Enjoying the day with good friends, laughing, telling stories ,and sharing secrets ...feeling free to be yourself and knowing they too feel the same way.. I realized today just how important friends are...How they can help you put things in perspective and they fill a place that no one else can...and I am so glad for them.

Today was a much needed reprieve from the drilling and hammering, and dogs barking at the strangers in and out of our house......endless dust and the horrible radio music non stop in the background.ALL.which has become my everyday life as . the kitchen remodel continues..........A fun filled day out !

In on the fun were my two good friends .Martha celebrating her new job she starts next week and Julie who just got back home, from a 2 month excursion up the California coast to Canada with her husband. they picked me up early and we all went out for Pedicures, facials, nails...then to Arroyo Grande to a fabulous lunch at Cafe Alfie. Then .after lunch we did a little shopping of course..Marshalls was on the way..and then we went to see the new Julis Child movie! It was a really charming movie..we enjoyed it! The day was perfect..and I feel refreshed and ready for tomorrow!!!