Celebrating December

I always have such great intentions of posting more her at Willow's Cottage.  And then the week flies by and it's Friday again.  So here I am with the one tradition I manage to keep-- Friday Fave Fives with Susanne.  Click on the link to see what other people are thankful for and blessed with this week.  Here are mine:

1.  Between the rain storms, we managed to get in two great walks. Since Friday was #optoutside day, we chose to walk around Ventura Harbor.  Ocean. Sand. Seagulls. Boats.  Is there a better way to spend the day after Thanksgiving?

 harbor entrance

so many boats!

2.  Then on Monday, The Professor volunteered his time to light a concert.  So I spent the time he was hanging lights and doing whatever it is he does to create that amazing ambience to walk all around the perimeter of the university.  It's a beautiful campus, having been renovated from an old state hospital done in mission style architecture. (and only 1 mile from the Pacific Ocean!)

 a view of the campus from above on the hill with the water tank

looking east through the palm trees to the hills that surround the campus

3.  The concert!  Channel Islands Community Chorale which also includes students from the university sang two concerts on the weekend.  We attended both--Sunday afternoon and Monday evening.  The Professor wanted to hear the concert before he did the lighting.  I have friends who sing in the chorale, so it was a double blessing for me to hear them sing Mozart and Rachmaninoff as well as numerous contemporary composers.

4.  I love Christmas!  I've started doing a little bit of decorating.  First:  advent wreath and candles.  This week is Hope!

5.  We joined several people from a current and former Bible study group for a Christmas dinner.  A few years ago, the group was so large that we split in to two groups.  But we still get together for a holiday celebration every year.  It was great to see these long time friends again.

I think that December is mostly about celebrating.  Celebrating places and people and beauty.  And anticipating Christmas!

What Made Me Happy

Hello!  August is rolling on and here at Willow's Cottage, the weather is wonderful, and the skies are blue.  Perfect summer weather.  And Willow's Week was quiet and practically perfect.  I'm so thankful for the little things.  Here are my Friday Fave Fives.

1.  We were delighted when a young couple in our church approached us and asked if we would like to join them for lunch at our favorite Mexican place.  It took about ten five seconds for us to enthusiastically reply, "Yes! We'd love to."  An added bonus is that The Professor's sister came, too.

2.  Ventura County Fair!  We went TWICE this week.  That makes a total of three visits to the fair this year.  And we ended up paying a total of $2 for admission.  Day One was Dollar Day, hence we paid our $2.  Then this week, Tuesday was "Old People's" Day and we got in free.  Then today, Friday, we used our free tickets because we hadn't used them on Day One when I came to work in the weavers/spinners booth.

3.  Why would we want to attend the fair so many times?  Mostly, we love the music.  There's one performer who comes from Oregon (he calls his stint at our fair his vacation because the weather and beach is so beautiful) and we love to listen to all his sets during a day, which is three or four performances.  His name is Brady Goss and if you ever have the chance to attend one of his concerts, DO IT.  He's great.

4.  This fave is kinda silly, but it is still a fave.  The Pig Races!  Little pigs race around a track while the announcer makes constant piggy/hoggy puns.  It's just fun.

5.  I have a very dear long time friend who lives not far away.  We have been like ships in the night this summer.  She spent several weeks in another state helping her family as someone was dying.  Then I was gone for a month.  Finally, yesterday, we texted each other and set a meet up.  It was just a bit too windy and cool to sit outside and drink our drinks and it was too loud inside.  So we sat in my car.  Crazy Ladies!  But we were comfortable and had a great time catching up.

So that's how my week shaped up.  None of these events were particularly spectacular, but they were important to me and made me happy.  How about you?

August Means...

August! Wow!  I'm not ready for August!  But here it is and here it is the first Friday in August.  Fridays are my FRIDAY FAVE FIVES days.  (Follow the link to join in!)

1.  It's FAIR TIME!  Our county fair opened on Wednesday and The Professor and I were there.  We dragged along his sister and nephew and a young friend from church.  Dragged might be a bit of an exaggeration.  They happily accompanied us.  We love the exhibits and the musical group son the small stages.  I'm thankful for where I live!

2.  While I was demonstrating spinning at our weavers and spinners guild booth, they all took off to look at fun things like the stamps section in one of the "hobby buildings" and the photography competitions.  Then they decided to watch the pig races.  From their reports back to me, the pig races may have been their favorite.  I'm thankful they all wanted to spend a fun day with us.

3.  I have also been (FINALLY) organizing and scanning some of our old photos.  After I scan them, I am putting them into various albums.  Right now, I am focusing on the photos from our years in Indonesia.  We lived for three years in the house in the foreground of this photo.  For us, that was luxury living!  We had access to stores, four hours of electricity at night, and running water!

Erickson-Tritt Bible Institute

This is where we spent more of our time.

Our home is not in the picture--it was just to the right outside the photo.  The church is the building on the far right.  Only access to the village was helicopter (or walking for a week).

I'm thankful for the years we were able to live and minister in such an amazing place!

4.  The reason I started back up again was that my daughters asked me for some photos of them together when they were young because they are having a birthday party barbeque this weekend to celebrate their birthdays which are two weeks apart.  I found one which I though would be right.  They were SO CUTE! (They still are!)  I'm thankful my girls still love each other and love to spend time together.

And this one of the three of us

5.  I love to study new things.  Right now, I have TWO NEW THINGS to study.  I just signed up for a free introductory class for making herbal preparations.  AND I checked out some books from the library on sketching.  Why two such different things?  Well, partly because I want to learn about herbs and herbal medicines AND I want to draw the sketches of each herb I study. Now those are not the only reasons for my interests, but that's how these two intersect.  I'm thankful I can learn new things and it's mostly free access to so much knowledge!

What are you thankful for this week?

Willow's Week Mid May

All of a sudden, it was Friday night! And I realized I hadn't posted my Friday Fave Fives.  Where did the week go??

1. Mother's Day.  None of my children live in driving distance but they are always good to call or text to wish me a Happy Mother's Day.  Makes my whole week.

2. A couple of things have pushed me to start scanning my photos.  Mission Aviation Fellowship is writing an article on how they have helped bring Bible translations to groups of people who don't have the Bible in their languages.  Since MAF was an intregal part of our ministry in Indonesia, they asked us for information and photos of our time there.  So we did that and dug out some photos and scanned them.  Then our kids' house mom in their boarding school hostel has been posting on facebook lots of pictures she has been scanning.  So...I've been inspired!  And since organizing and scanning my pictures has been a goal of mine for YEARS, I jumped in this week and have begun.

Me in the Papuan jungle 1987

3. I got to do that drive to Santa Barbara again this week to pick up World's Best Neighbor from the airport there.  This week I took some time to stop by and visit with a former coworker from Indonesia who lives there.  We had a great chat.  I took her photo to share with my kids who knew her as "Aunt Marge", but she made me promise not to post it on social media.  (But for eighty-seven, she's looking good!)

And of course I had to stop and snap a photo of the Isla Vista pier

4. On Wednesday, we decided to get in a long walk along the beach and through the town before the rain came.  Oh, it was wonderful to watch the waves roll in and smell that sea air.

Surfers Point

Mission San Buenaventura

5.  Rain!  It is so unusual for Southern California to have rain in May.  I loved just listening to those drops hit the ground.

What a Week!

What a Week!  Yes, we're home.  Although there have been some fire flare ups on the hills above our neighborhood, we were able to return home on Saturday evening.  We are so thankful that our home is safe from the Hill Fire* and Woolsey Fire.  It hurts our hearts when we hear of people who have lost everything--especially so soon after the Thomas Fire which devastated Ventura in our county last December, and after the shootings at Borderline in Thousand Oaks which is the next town over from ours. So here are my heartfelt Friday Fave Fives.   This week I can link up to Susanne's blog!

1.  Saturday evening, we enjoyed a dinner out with long time friends before we 'repopulated' our home.  We sat there in the restaurant and chatted and laughed.  It was great.  Exactly what we needed.

2.  I was called for jury duty.  Yes. Again.  My report day was Wednesday and I did get called into the courtroom and stayed until 5:15 pm while prospective jurors were interviewed.  Because of the memorial service for the county sheriff who was killed in the Borderline shootings last week, we were held over until Thursday afternoon, so I had to report there again and sit in the courtroom until all the jurors were chosen and sworn in.  Then we who were not chosen on the jury were allowed to leave.  Hopefully. I won't be called again in the near future.  What was the fave?  Meeting a couple of other women who I really clicked with, one of whom noticed my felted bag and asked, "Did you knit that?  I knit, too."  Well, that obviously meant instant friendship.

3.  Meeting with a couple of friends for a morning planning session for our Mom to Mom group at church.  I am learning to love these co-mentor moms and appreciate their wisdom (and their humor).

4.  This is a funny thing:  when we left last Thursday, I had poured some hot water over dried chocolate mint leaves and left it to steep while we were gone for what we thought would be about an hour.  Well, when we returned Saturday night, there was the tea mug.  I decided to try the tea.  It was delicious!  Evidently leaving mint tea to steep for 50 plus hours makes excellent tea!

5.  We hadn't seen one of The Professor's sisters for awhile.  She texted and said, "Hey, I was missing you a lot tonight. Can I come over tomorrow to see you?"  So we had a wonderful visit with her and she stayed for lunch.  She even loved our usual lunch of veggies and more veggies with a bit of hummus thrown in.

I hope you are all preparing for a joyous and wonderful Thanksgiving!  Giving thanks is what we're all about here.

* The Hill Fire was named after the place the fire started:  Hill Canyon-- where The Professor and I hike on a regular basis.  It doesn't look like this anymore:

Five Faves at the Fair

If you have been reading the Willow's Cottage blog for very long, you will know that even if I don't post anything else during a week, I will write about my favorite things from the week and link up to Susanne's blog Living to Tell the Story and her Friday Fave Fives.  This edition of Willow's Week for Friday Fave Fives features A day at the County Fair.  This is a recurring theme each year.  I love our county fair.  It calls itself "The Country Fair with an Ocean Air" because the fairgrounds are literally across the street from the beach and the Pacific Ocean.  Who wouldn't love that?

Usually I work the first fair day doing demonstrations of spinning in the Agricultural Building at our guild booth (Ventura County Handweavers and Spinners Guild).  It was busy the whole time I was there.  People love to stop and watch us weave and spin and they ask so many questions.  My answers?  "No, it's not really a lost art."  "Everything you are wearing right now as gone through this same process--just using a large mechanized and industrialized method.  But truthfully, nothing is fundamentally different than it was hundreds and thousands of years ago."

We get free tickets for working the fair and since I work the first day which is Dollar Day, we just pay our dollar each and save those free tickets to attend another day when I'm not working.

This year the fair was extra fun for me because my sister-in-law joined us.  Normally, she avoids the fair's crowds like everyone there has the plague or lice or at least the flu.  It was a treat for me to share my love of the fair with her.

The Professor enjoys listening to the music acts on the smaller stages.  One performer has been returning for several years and we will sit and listen to Brady Goss sing.  We love his style and I love that he's from my home state Oregon.

Do you love the fair?  What's your favorite thing?

Already December

I'm back!  It's December!  It's Friday and that means Friday Fave Fives.

I missed blogging anything the last two weeks.  That's because I have been gone from Willow's Cottage again.  The week before Thanksgiving, I flew to the east coast to spend time with my Daughter #2 and her family.

1.   Daughter #1 came for the holiday, too.  On Friday, #optoutside day, we took the cousins for a hike.  I love sharing my love of the outdoors with my grandchildren.  I hope they are learning to love it, too.

2.  I've been using my ninja decluttering and packing skills to help Daughter #2 prepare for their upcoming move to the same area where Daughter #1 lives.  I love that she appreciates my help.  And I love that they are both excited to be living near each other.

3.  One day we took some time off and drove to Annapolis for lunch at the harbor.  I love exploring places, and I do love Annapolis!

4.  I knitted all the yarn I brought with me, so I have been raiding my daughter's stash.  I love that she loves to knit and is willing to share (less for her to move, right?).

5.  Have you been hearing and reading about the horrible fires in Southern California?  It's my county, Ventura County, that's burning.  I have been monitoring the situation as well as possible and The Professor who is home is keeping me up to date.  I hate the destruction, but it encourages me to see how we are all gathering around to help--everyone from the firefighters and first responders to neighbors and strangers.  Obviously, the fave is NOT the fires.  It's the outpouring of love and care.

A bit of mid-Atlantic, late autumn beauty to enjoy.

More Hashtags

I had so much fun writing the post a few weeks ago with hashtags.  So I decided to do it again.  Here are my Friday Fave Fives for this (fortunately much cooler and pleasant) week.  #fridayfavefives  #thankssusanne

1.  An elderly friend was talking with me about aging gracefully and mentioned words of wisdom from someone else who stated that it is important to think about becoming better if you don't want to become bitter.  I like that.  #betternotbitter 

2.  The Professor and I took our bikes out for an excursion this week.  In the past year or two, a dedicated (and protected by steel rails) bike path was built along the edge of Hwy 101 on the ocean side.  We were just feet from the beach and ocean.   I think I could ride this section of the trail every day!  #bikinginventuracounty

Only metal fencing separating us from the beach on the left and Hwy 101 on the right.

Our view at lunch.  One of the Channel Islands in the distance.

3.  I dislike shopping so much that when I find a basic item like pants that fit, I buy an extra pair.  This summer I bought an inexpensive pair of black yoga pants and decided to see if I could find another.  Lucky me!  There were not, one, not two, but three, pairs in the store.  I bought them.  Now I wont't have to shop for pants for a long while.  #blackpants

4.  One afternoon we decided to hike up to the top of the hill at the end of our neighborhood.  There is an electrical company 'station' there, so the road is paved most of the way.  We spooked five deer who were grazing in the area.  (Can you see all five deer?  Evidently, brush and cactus make excellent camouflage. )  #walkingtheneighborhood

5.  I've been busy knitting hats for the local hospital's NICU.  I posted a photo on facebook and two people asked for the pattern, so they can knit, too.  #twentytinyhats

#thatwasfun

August Take Two

Late to the Party... but better late than not at all, right?  Here are Friday's Fave Fives from Willow's Week.

1.  The Professor had a root canal this week.  All went well.  The best part of this fave?  It wasn't me!

2.  That skein of grey yarn I swapped a tomato for last week?  It now looks like this:

A gift for my nephew's new son.

3.  One evening this week, The Professor was busy with church business.  So I texted my neighbor/friend and we walked.  I treasure this friend and her wisdom and her willingness to pop out most any time for a walk around the neighborhood.

4.  Once a month we  join a local group for a potluck which is focused on a whole food/plant based menu.  I love spending this evening with other people like me who have committed to choosing a healthy diet and lifestyle.  And this week, the dish we took (Indonesian peanut sauce and vegetables) was a huge hit--no leftovers at all.

5.  One reason I am late with posting my Fave Fives is that we spent the day at the fair--this time we just listened to the music acts.  One in particular was a fave.  Brady Goss.  He can sing and play both the guitar and piano in several crossover genre.  Amazing performer!

Wishing you all a happy weekend!

August Days

Is it really August already?  And has it been a full week since I wrote a blog post?  I guess it has been a busy week.

Here are a few highlights, my Friday Fave Fives, from this week.

1.  It has been hot here, at least hot for us in coastal California.  I realize we missed the really steaming days in the Pacific Northwest and Inland Empire of Southern California this week.  However, it has been hot enough.  And the fave here is I'm thankful for air conditioning.

2.  World's Best Neighbors and I did a win-win swap.  I took a large ripe tomato from our garden up to them and in the process of conversation, I commented that I liked the grey yarn that was sitting on the desk.  The result was I now have that grey yarn on my needles and am working on a sweater for a new great nephew.  They got garden yumminess and I got fiber yumminess.

3.  Spinning at the fair.  Every year, our handweavers and spinners guild has a booth at the county fair.  And every year, I volunteer some time to sit in the exhibit and demonstrate spinning.  It's a fun time for me--being teacher, showing how all fibers are created, demonstrating how a modern spinning wheel works. The Professor enjoys it, too.  He carries my equipment (which is no small feat) and gets a day to wander around and check out the musical acts.  Then we choose a day to return and actually enjoy the fair together.

4.  We have been in the middle of celebration time in our family.  Beginning with The Professor's birthday in June (which was also my mother's birthday) and adding my brother's birthday and then our wedding anniversary, you would think we have celebrated enough.  But, no.  We are continuing with more birthdays!  Daughter #2 had a birthday at the beginning of this week.  I posted this photo on facebook--probably my favorite from when she was a toddler/preschooler.

Carrying her doll Indonesian style

This is more recent

5.  And one more birthday!  Son #1, Chaplain Dan, my first born.  Last year on Mother's Day.  I love that I was able to talk with both of them of their birthdays.

That wraps up Willow's Week.  How about you?  What blessings have you noticed in your daily routines this week?

Fairs, Museums, Birthdays, and More

Hello!  Welcome to Willow's Week in Friday's Fave Five hosted by Susanne.

1.  Reagan Library and the Vatican Splendors.  We spent a lovely day with friends at the Presidential Library and the special exhibit from the Vatican.  So many highlights!  So many moving moments and displays.  But everyone's favorite is always Air Force One and Marine One.

2.  Much of my week has been focused on preparing for and working at our county fair.  Our guild has a booth and I worked there demonstrating spinning the first two days.

(Did you notice the blue ribbon?  Our exhibit earned first place in our division, and we also received an award for education.)

3.  One of the days, (probably because we won the awards), we were featured in our local newspaper.  Every year, every day of the fair, one of the reporters does a story on some part of the fair.  His stories are always fun to read.  Who knew that he would come interview US?  Here's the link to videos and article.  I think everyone enjoys Tom's columns because they're funny and not about negative stuff in the news.

4.  Best news ever:  Son #2 sent a message saying, "Just got my seat.  Almost there!"  and then, "Shutting down over here."  And finally, "On the ground."  Back in the USA!  He has been away all summer researching but is back now.  That makes my mama's heart happy.

5.  In other children news, two had birthdays this week.  Although we can't celebrate in person, we always make sure we all communicate our love and felicitations in calls, emails and texts (and cards or packages delivered by USPS).

How was your week?  I hope you found many blessings!

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?