Garden Update

Our beautiful garden is growing with just a little water each morning and sun every day for the last two weeks! I have found little green worms on some of the leaves of lettuce, broccoli and chard. My goal is to get rid of them without using chemicals. I will keep you posted on how I accomplish this.

Vacation

The word vacation comes from the Latin word vacare which means to be empty and stems from an Indo-European root eu which means to leave or abandon. Not only are we leaving or abandoning the office, but we are mentally moving out of that head space.

I had no idea I needed a vacation so badly, but now (after being refreshed) I can look back and see all of the reasons why a break was so necessary. The economy is shit, everyone is broke, work is stressful, it has been raining since October and two days off per week just doesn't cut it.

So, I went home "sick" on Thursday afternoon and was ever so "sick" on Friday as we flew to San Francisco. We walked all over the city, seeing Museums, strolling through parks, and basking in the sun. That's right, it was sunny and warm the entire weekend.

We drove up to Napa on Saturday and it was even more glorious there. Warmer and less breezy. We took a picnic and after our first tasting, bought a bottle and drank it on the perfectly manicured lawn, paired with a variety of cheeses and fruits. The dog cooled his belly on the shaded grass. We then toured the beautiful valley, admired the rolling, vine-covered hills, and made a final stop at Mumm, famous for their sparkling wines. A little bubbly to finish off the warm day filled my angsty soul with calm. And the best part? It was only Saturday.

Sunday morning greeted us with yet another sunny, breezy day. We could smell the ocean everywhere we went. We had a nice breakfast in a coffee shop in the Mission before calling our mothers on their day, not daring to tell them we were going to eat ice cream, piled two huge scoops high on top of sugar cones, for lunch and then headed out to explore the Sutro bath ruins and hike along the trails overlooking the bay.

This week, despite how busy I have been, I am completely refreshed, genuinely happier, and ready to take the world on. We should most definitely be given more vacation days throughout the year. We would all be easier to get along with!

Some photos:



Renzo Piano's California Academy of Science



Herzog & de Meuron's de Young Museum



James Turrell's "Three Gems" skyspace installation



Napa Valley



Merryvale Winery



Mumm's Winery



Mitchell's for lunch!



Sutro Bath Ruins



Tunnel at Sutro Baths



No comment necessary

Have stress, will travel

sun, fun, wine, good company.....can't wait!

Garden Sequence

And that, my friends, is how you put dinner on the table!