Thursday, January 22, 2015

Books, Birds, Birthdays and Veggies

This week's Friday Fave Fives is focusing on the little blessings that I noticed throughout the week.  Nothing profound or particularly significant.  Some weeks are like that, and that's OK.

1.  The Professor's car has been been at the mechanic's shop so we have been sharing my car I have been driving him to the university.  I am always struck with the beauty of the campus with its California mission architecture and its signature 'bell tower'.   I'm thankful that his place of work is so pleasant. (And his four classes are full with waiting lists...)


2.  I love where I live.  Did you eat any fresh vegetables this week?  Those vegetables might have come from my county.  These cabbages are growing in the fields between our neighborhood and the university.

 Support Ventura County agriculture.
Eat more cruciferous vegetables!

Are these little lettuce plants?


A lemon orchard


3.   Even the herons love living here.  Finally, there's a bit of water in the river beds.


4.  It was Son #2's birthday this week.  He is a remarkably content young man.  I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and his reply was simply, "Nothing.  My birth and life is gift enough."  I think I'll take him out for Ethiopian food next time he visits.

5.  I discovered that my Thursday TA loves Elizabeth Goudge's books as much as I do.  Whenever we chat between classes or at the end of the morning, we discover more and more reasons we just 'click' as people.  It's a great blessing to have a congenial and dynamic woman to work with.  And obviously, if she reads Elizabeth Goudge's novels, she's a perceptive, brilliant, discerning reader, too. Right?

14 comments:

Tracy said...

LOVELY top photo, Willow! I just love the Mission architecture too. The cabbages are BEAUTIFUL! We live in an area where there is a lot of farming--grain as well as vegetables, and much finds its way to our local stores, which is wonderful! Elizabeth Goudge...I reads LOTS of her work when in my 20's. It'd be fun to revisit those! "My birth and life is gift enough."--that's the way to appreciate it, good man--your son! :o) Happy Days, Willow ((HUGS))

Faith said...

LOVE your son's answer about his birthday! happy birthday to him!! awesome photos....mmmm....fresh veggies! here in NY we get a fairly good supply of root veggies that are local but all of our citrus and things like broccoli, etc come from other states so of course are not as good as our own local ones in the spring- autumn months. I miss eating good fresh blueberries!! can't wait until summer to get them at a much lower price! that first photo of the college bell is so pretty! enjoy your weekend!

Gattina said...

It looks indeed like a wonderful working place !
I am sure that the cabbages, I eat are not from your region but around here, lol !

Ann said...

I was in Ventura County about three years ago. We drove the highway out from where we were staying in Santa Clarita - a beautiful drive, and a pleasure to see all the wonderful crops. What a great place to live!

Barbara H. said...

It does help when one's work is an a congenial place.

Love your son's answer.

It's so neat to have someone you just click with so well. Glad someone like that is in your life!

Jerralea said...

It is a great thing to work with a congenial co-worker!

It is even more wonderful to love where you live.

I love that you share pictures with us of where you live!

Dianna said...

Hello Willow,

It is always a blessing to love where one lives! We live in the mountains of WV and I, too, can say that I love where I live.

Loved seeing those cabbages! One of my favorite veggies!

nikkipolani said...

Your TA is a blessing indeed -- congenial co-workers are never taken for granted!

How fun to see veggies growing right there in your neighborhood. Veggies for the rest of the country!

Caroline said...

What a peaceful post! I love the mixture of beach and agriculture in Ventura County.

ellen b said...

Great Faves! I can almost smell the agriculture of that great coastal plain...

Susanne said...

Happy Birthday to your son! He sounds like a wonderful young man. All your lovely pictures have me longing for summer. How wonderful that you are able to be in the midst of growing season in January and I'm pretty sure we get your produce here in Alberta! (LOL to Gattina's comment).

Susan said...

My son's birthday was on the 17th and he also didn't want anything. I told him his gift then was for us to spend some one-on-one time together. I think he is going to take me fishing. :)

How great to have such a friend in your TA. I love that some of the folks I work with are absolutely people I would have picked for FRIENDS!

have a great week.

Kathie said...

Good thing I didn't miss this post!!I think of anyone who loves Elizabeth Goudge as an instant friend :)

I wish I could find another author like her!

Kathie said...

PS - a belated Happy Birthday wish to your son!