the noes does Not know

two trees up on a breathtaking hillside... waving in the breeze as if beckoning us to lay in their shade... to take in the amazing ocean views... views of ventura county and beyond... a welcoming trail... a leisure hike... a sun filled picnic.  ...what could possibly go wong?  well for starters you can lose your dog entirely for the first time in 8 years.  you can painstakingly search the wretched cow pattied mountains for 5 hours with two little tots... scratch that picnic... never make it to Two Trees... cry your eyes out at the prospect of living without the dog you can't seem to coexist with... and then after that you can pray tirelessly, have a faithless meltdown... repeat "i have faith" 100 times, and then realize your mistake and say instead "i Will have faith" 101 times... suddenly see a moving spec-of-a-mirage in the valley below... then sprint through side yards and backyards to get a better view of the little 's' and end up in an avocado grove yelling pitiful requests of aid to a random, suspect criminal in the valley below who tells you off and acquires what you believe is your wayward animal... you can then cry miserably again and call the cops in a frenzy... have them show at about the same time said criminal appears with said 's'-dog.  ...and just in case that's not enough excitement for one day you may be lucky enough to acquire a lovely tick just behind your baby's ear which then has to be excavated by a local doc who can't seem to extract the ol' mandibles... & finally purchase antibiotics.  swell.

He Has Risen

Easter at the Hyatt Huntington Beach was a splashtasitc success... waterslide wipe outs and poolside cocktails... no denying our serious so cal roots; thank God for 70+ degrees, beachy weather in spring!  sure there was the traditional egg hunt... 2 in fact.  1st with cousins at the Hayes residents as usual... with thee most outstanding, yummy pigs in some kinda candied-walnut-syrup ever!  ...and later at the hotel with the masses.  (gabe made out once again gloriously, like a true huntsman... with a candy stash that will take him clear through the year.)  we dabbled in a major brunch taking place at the hotel and ended with an all time spring-in-cali fave, s'mores.  delish day... delightful play.

 

open "air" market

the adventure began with "the terrible awful" underway... there was therefore no avoiding the turbulence in the open "air" market... nevertheless we sought out to obtain our perfect day in the bottom of a fresh popped kettle corn bag.  oh, our sad demise.  dog barking from parked car.  patio-patrons rubbernecking... apply shock collar to barking dog... set out on foot... sample everything in the market because gabel can not resist... take an orange juice bath whilst offering samples to tyke... feel the "air" begin to set it's highfalutin hippie hands upon me like a dark cloud... clamour for the coveted kettle corn... retrieve size: small bag of corn... leave without change...

"the terrible awful"

it was saturday... wide open, just me & the boys, do anything we please... saturday.  sure the stars were aligned in such a way to obscure any and all sense of order but that wouldn't hinder our positive outlook.  we set out... not having driven in 7 months, powered by peady, for... i thought home... perhaps pick up warmer clothes... the weather could change... plus the bank is near the house.  wait.  i think there's a bank downtown, that's next to the farmer's market... yes on second thought... go there.  flip the peady.  forget the clothes.  utter discombobulation from minute one.  probably should have headed straight to the safety of my foxhole home base but in stead i hit the bank.  the open parking stall out front the atm tricked me into thinking stars were aligning in my favor. 

birthday best

yellow streamers and scavenger hunts... gifts from the tot... yummiest stew chicken dinner & brand new converse kix!  For Him: strawberry shortcake morning, pork rib dinner and homemade lemon bars.  sure he got a planter and a front door mat... but really, it's all about the food.

sidenote: homemade carmel popcorn... chef creation!

"ABC it's easy as 1 2 3"

Apple, Bacon, Cheddar as simple, as do re mi...

showers for a shower

white capped waves & lazy ash-colored skies bid us to the shores... smiles & laughter abound inside a warm seaside tent... bungalow views dappled with the heaven's tears of joy... mother to be... aglow... a new story begins... a bright future awaits.

Do you remember December?

a fuzzy bear suit prepared to bundle our bundle... but for now cuddle in the warmth of the indoors, in the arms of those who love you, in a homecooked meal, in the goodness of a cup of steaming hot chocolate... do you remember?  i do.

bar cart mania

what's not to love.  or in my crazy world... what's not to obsess over.  i have found that i adore bar carts.  now when mentioning this to the chef he claimed he adored them first, and he almost has a leg to stand on in that argument since he has had a certain one in mind for a certain place in a certain house ever since the day i met him.  (i was willing to be fair.  i acknowledged his decanter fixation but it wasn't good enough for him.  he clearly wouldn't go down that easily.)  ok so i resigned from the "i loved bar carts 1st" party and i joined the present camp, "but i loved bar carts 1st!"  in any event we are of equal minds and can from this point forward hunt hand in hand for that ever elusive, ever adored carrier of the booze.

note: check out more carts http://elissabraun.com/blog/2011/06/wish-list-bar-cart/ 

rofl

summer in march

it was as if God peered down from the heavens... and taking into account the desolate, gray beaches... turned the sun down upon them and held off the mighty coastal winds.  setting loose the gulls He assessed the skies and breathed them into blue.  it was just one of those kind of days.

                          

separating the beach from the railroad tracks... the coolest, nostalgic picket fance.        

spring season

   

                 

look out world... our heavy hitter is hittin' the field again.  mr. gabel attended tryouts on feb. 5th and seems as though a coach may have scouted him for the shetlands.  (not to be confused with the mini-shetlands of last... the flower pickin'... run to the dugouts instead of 1st base... draw in the dirt kids.)  the shetlands are 5-6 year olds.  our tyke will be 1 mth away from turning 4 when the season starts... but with lots of prayers... and an endearing smile like his, he will obliterate his hefty competition!  so here's to you gabel... and to angelic protection overhead with those pop flies.    

sidenote: the black pirates t-shirt in photograph belonged to the chef when he was in little league.

bro posse

here's to our frisky boy... our duke!  here's to your big 10th birthday.  you have stollen our hearts... & we quite simply adore you... our one and only Chopper-Boy!

for no reason at all

the best lamb ever.  ...it will not soon be forgotten.

abracadabra LUV

when daddy says he's making a snack... stand clear... & prepare to witness magic.