Wow! Is it really FFF #67? Sixty- seven weeks of celebrating our blessings! Thanks, Susanne, for hosting us every week.
It is The Week Before Christmas Week, and I have finished my teaching and tutoring for the month/year 2009. Now is the time I can focus on preparing for Christmas and enjoying social activities.1. Christmas cards. Because I love receiving cards every year, I also send them. The Professor and I worked together to update our address list on the computer, print out labels, write a Christmas letter, stick labels on envelopes, stuff the envelopes with cards and letters, seal them and affix correct postage. For more than one hundred cards, that's a lot of folding, stuffing, licking and stamping. The project is done and now it's up to the US Postal Service to do its job of placing the cards in the appropriate mailboxes.
2. Driving PCH--which means Pacific Coast Highway, not Peace, Charity, Hope--to spend the day with friends in Manhattan Beach. With the beach on my right on the way there, I drove through Malibu, peeking at the ocean whenever I could take my eyes off the road for three seconds. Mist, a few clouds, low flying pelicans, crashing Pacific Ocean waves, bikers, runners, surfers.
3. Celebrating a special birthday with friends! I spent the whole day with the birthday girl and enjoyed lunch with several of our mutual friends.
4. We decided that we ought to walk off our pizza lunch and cookies and ice cream dessert. By the time we finally left the restaurant and drove to Manhattan Beach Pier, the sun was thinking about setting. The temperature was still in the high 60s, so we didn't take our jackets with us. (You can see in the photo that the children digging in the sand are wearing summer beach attire.)
Three miles of walking along The Strand, gazing at this sunset:
It has been a most pleasant week here at Willow's Cottage! How was yours? You can share in the comments or go check out what others have to say over at Susanne's blog.
35 comments:
what a lovely week you had. Wow you really do live in California - it's beautiful. Those photo's of the beach and sun setting, just gorgeous.
Wow, wonderful photos! Nature is one of the greatest blesings. Congrats to the birthday girl! Have a great week :)
Sounds a very lovely way to spend your week Willow. Mine has been busy as usual, I went out with Friends during the week for a Christmas Meal and to say goodbye to one of our number as she is leaving to spend more time with her little girl. Today we have a snow day! Its the last day of term so we miss our meal and school staff get together. But I've been out in the snow playing snomen building and snowball fights with Em. Jane x
Your fifth fave brought me back fond memories. When I was a student and home for the holidays I would tiptoe myself in, hide behind the door and go ha! at either father or mother. If it's father I get a ride on his back (at 20!), and you'd know it's mother if you'd hear two girls screaming and laughing at the same time. Oh...sorry I went on.
Your drive sounds like a movie, and hundreds of cards! I'm sure you derive so much joy in receiving and sending them. Happy holidays.
So happy you have more time off with the cards "behind you". Sounds like you might have celebrated at BJ's if that's a pizookie you had. :0)
What a beautiful sunset to crown your 3 mile walk with.
Enjoy your graduate...
Oh, what a lovely gauzy scene!
And congrats for getting the cards done. I'm going to be very late with mine, but I enjoy sending them, too!
I, too, adore getting cards! And I have such fun coming up with somethiing new each year for ours. Christmas cards are a gift I give myself.
Oh yes! The feeling when that last class has been taught and the vacation looms ahead! How WONDERFUL!
And what a lovely day spent with friends! You know... I love to drive beside the ocean too... and it is HARD to find a spot that hasn't been bought up and made private with a big ol' house or a string of tiny cottages -- at least along the east coast! It's so sad. But I found when I was in Colorado I enjoyed driving beside the mountains too -- and they are MUCH harder to hide! ;)
Enjoy the holidays Willow! Enjoy the Grad!
What a beautiful and gorgeous picture of the pier! Oh my!! Gorgeous!
Have a wonderful Christmas break!
Oh, your week sounds so pleasant to me. Thank you for sharing about it so we can all feel your joy.
Oh Mums, what a wonderful week! :o) Jealous I wasn't there every step of the way. Miss you! :o)
p.s. Isn't this weather great? Wore a tank top all day yesterday. Mmm.
I love getting my beach fix here Willow - it's hard on an Island girl when the water starts to freeze over . . .
A day of celebrating with friends - fun!
Enjoy have your GS home!
Loved #5! My student will be home sometime tomorrow! I can hardly wait!
Loved your pictures.
Sigh. I haven't written out a total of two whole cards. Sheesh. This is worse than last year for me.
I finally got off my tushy and made it to the post office. I sent your yarn today! Enjoy!!
Merry Christmas!
Love the beach pictures, especially as they are calling for snow in my neck of the woods. The pictures were a nice contrast! :)
Bet it was nice to find your grad student at home!!! :)
Home for Christmas alas!
Enjoy!
Those photos are absolutely gorgeous. What a blessing it is to see a sunset like that.
I love receiving and sending Christmas cards, too! Merry Christmas to you and yours! Karen
What a wonderful way to end a day with a walk along the beach and that gorgeous sunset!!
That sounds like a wonderful week! I'm looking forward to some adventures like that next week -- including a walk on the beach with our dog, which is one of my favorite things to do.
Mmm.... beautiful photograph of the beach and the pier. Thank you for sharing that. (It made me homesick, but in a good way.)
And I was just thinking yesterday how much I enjoy getting Christmas cards each year!
Gorgeous photos of a beautiful sunset! So nice you had a day with your friend(s)....and then to come home to your student sitting on the couch! What a perfect end to a nice day.
Good for you to send out cards and a letter!
Sounds like a wonderful way to spend the week, especially the part about coming and home and having your son there waiting for you!
Oh, that photo of the strand is fabulous!!! Brings back so many memories of evenings out with my Aunt and Uncle...dinner...and the gorgeous sunsets that can only be found where you live!!!! I've walked that pier...I know it well!!! What a wonderful list of Friday Faves!!! Merry Christmas, dear Willow! This post brought a huge smile to me this evening...btw...it is snowing here...and it has now drifted to waist height...I could use a little of your California sunshine ;-) Love, Janine XO
Those photos are beautiful!!!!
Hi Willow
We had over a foot of snow last night so we will be having a white Christmas this year :-)
I was behind on so much this year between traveling to Colorado for a week to attend my grandson's birthday, doctor visits for my broken foot, and all my assorted computer problems that drove me a little crazy, but I got all the important things done and eliminated some things that I could let go. Now I'm ready for a week of enjoying Christmas and family and friends ...hope you and your family have a very merry one and many blessings in the new year!
Your walk along the beach looked heavenly. I'll trade you your weather in the 60's for our weather in the 20's with 10 inches of snow. It will REALLY get you in the Christmas spirit (and shivers). Have a great Christmas!
Hello Kak Willow, sounds very wonderful Fave Five for me :) Also wanted to wish an early Merry and Joyful Christmas before I forget or get off blog land soon..love/M
Willow the people who live in Dyker Heights can well afford the high electric bills and most hire companies to set up the lights and those companies also store the decorations for them :-)
My neighbirhood is more subdued but stlll colorfully lit..and we do it all ourselves...lol
It's amazing how much better we feel when some of those projects are completed. Sounds like you had a wonderful week and I'm glad you have a few days off to tidy up the remaining details.
Just me popping by to say that there will be no FFF on Christmas Day but we'll be back the next week to kick off the New Year!
Merry Christmas!
I think I remember that sunset. I was about 60 miles inland, driving by a small airport near our home. I like driving by the airport because the land is so flat and one can see the horizon. The beauty was magnificent.
I thought...why isn't everyone stopping their cars to look at the sunset?
I like your pier picture!
Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year Willow! Hadriana xx
What a lovely way to spend a week Willow. You live in a very beautiful part of the world. The sunset is absolutely beautiful. Our adult children (including ond 'Graduate Student') are also all homr for the holidays. It's lovel to see them all. Have a fun time. Ros
Hi Willow,
No I did not know that yours and Flower's hubby's mom grew up in the village of Multnomah. It is such a charming area of Portland and I pass through (and sometimes stop)fairly often as I have a friend in Hillsdale.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas (today)..
What more could one ask for, walking with these beautiful skies.
Glad you had a great week.
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