Thursday, July 19, 2012

Back to Friday Faves

It has been three weeks since I posted a Friday Fave Five.  We were traveling and that while it provides many opportunities to make favorite memories, it doesn't lend itself well to having time to share them.  Where to begin and what to share?

1. Obviously, any trip to visit Our Boy would have to include photos of him!


Oh, and as you can see, blogger has forgiven and forgotten its threat to disallow me to post photos and is allowing me to upload pictures again.
2.  Safety.  Just before we arrived at Our Boy's house, his area experienced a significant windstorm which uprooted trees and blew down branches resulting in loss of power at his house for a week.  He was safe. And his house wasn't damaged although there were lots of branches and leaves strewn all over the front and back gardens.  Oh well.  We still had fun and practiced some of our old Papua, Indonesia survival skills.


Some really massive trees snapped and fell.

This is one of the reasons why there was no power.

Fortunately, this isn't his house.

But it was great fun to watch the workers fixing the downed telephones wires.

3.  We loved sharing our love of arboretums and gardens with him.


4.  Now we are home.  We missed our ocean views so on our wedding anniversary (that's another fave tucked in here:  thankfulness for a long and happy marriage) we took our bikes to Santa Barbara and rode along the beach bike route from Summerland as far as the Santa Barbara Pier and back.


5.  Lastly, I am truly thankful for excellent books that make me think:  Joel Salatin is a farmer who wrote Folks, This Ain't Normal which is about how far we have fallen from producing and eating 'normal food'.  I wrote a bit about how the book has challenged my thinking in this post.  If you're interested, you can read it.  And I would encourage you to read the book.

I feel like I have barely covered the faves of the past weeks.  I am so blessed with friends, fun, and family.  How about you?  You can share in the comments or link up to Susanne's blog for Friday Fave Five.

Susanne has been hosting Friday Fave Five for 200 weeks!  She asked each one of us who has joined her to tell when we began FFF--it took me awhile to go back far enough, to 2008.  My first Friday Fave Five post was September 5, 2008, just three weeks from the very beginning of this fabulous way to focus on our gratitude.  Like Susanne stated, it has been a wonderful exercise in discipline to choose to look for the positive blessings in each day, each week.  Thanks, Susanne, for leading so many of us in this celebration of discipline

13 comments:

nikkipolani said...

Glad Blogger has allowed photos again (I wonder if some of your older posts have "lost" their photos in exchange for these new ones...). That boy is adorable -- great smiles and fun times with you.

Kathie said...

Oh that boy is growing!! What a sweetie. I can imagine all the fun you had together.

That was quite a storm! I always feel badly when old trees like that go down. But I'm thankful everyone was safe.

I'll have to check to see if that book is in our library - it sounds interesting.

Happy Belated Anniversary!!Biking along a beach would be my kind of celebration :)

Faith said...

oh your grandson is just precious! and those photos of that storm's aftermath...WOW...so thankful his home was spared!! I'm going to check out that book you recommended. Sounds like one I'd like my husband to look at :) be blessed today!!

ellen b. said...

Love all the photos of that little guy who has really grown. What a mess that storm made! Happy you could pedal along your favorite ...the beach! Blessings.

Barbara H. said...

Glad you had some great travels and were able to get away a bit for your anniversary and to see your grandson! Glad his family is safe as well. We're due for some storms and high winds this afternoon, and I am hoping ti won't be as bad as the weather reports last night indicated.

I'm glad Blogger started working for you again.

Belated happy anniversary!

Bethany said...

I forgot to wish you a Happy Anniversary in the last post! I wish for you that many more plus!! You have the cutest grandson! He always looks so excited to be with you guys. That was a massive windstorm. Those are the first photos I've seen but my parents said there was a lot of damage at their homes too. It's funny-- I didn't grow up near the ocean but I always miss it too and want to be living on the coast soon!

Schotzy said...

Wonderful faves... I can truthfully say.. how wonderful it would be to have a young lad or lass to call "our""" no grand kids yet! I live vicariously through the joys shared by other grandma's and glean ideas too for that oh so special time in the future.. garden strolling is high up on my list!!!!

Laura@OutnumberedMom said...

This trip looks like SO much fun! (Glad you can upload pictures again.) And happy anniversary to you!

Have a great week ahead.

Susanne said...

I can't believe how much your grandson is growing! Wow.

My heart broke at the site of those glorious huge trees knocked over. But thank God no one was hurt when they fell.

That book sounds very interesting, Willow. I think my husband would really like to read something like that.
Thanks for being with me from almost the beginning.

Jerralea said...

Love all the photos but the one of your grandson by the lake is awesome!

Happy anniversary to you and your hubby. May you have many more!

Gattina said...

Wow, this storm must have been quiet strong to break such a big tree !
I wished I had blue sky too, but here it's cold and grey. Cute pictures of "your boy" !

Sharon Lynne said...

Wow, that was some windstorm!
I'll read your post on the book. My son is very interested in that topic...I'll tell him about the book.

Tracy said...

Wonderful to catch up with you at last, Willow! Your Boy is growing in leaps & bounds... how beautiful he is. Such storms lately...scary stuff--YIKES! Belated Anniversary wishes to you & the Professor! May the love keep growing & blooming! :o) Happy Summer Days ((HUGS))