a 25 hour getaway

In May, we bought a one night stay at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills at an auction. I bid on it knowing how glorious it is to stay there, even if for one night. Why you ask? How great can it possibly be? Well, as you know, it is the little things that get me every time. Like the roses in the lobby. Not just a vase of flowers, but a display that looks like a huge puffy ball made of dozens of white roses. And not just one but all sizes of these spheres of the most delicate roses hanging from the ceiling, all different lengths and sizes. As if they just grew there. As if it is really no big deal to have hundreds of roses floating in the sky in the shapes of planets. And the scent is just strong enough to make you breathe a bit deeper to take it all in and pause before you step into the elevator. Then there is the room itself. Don't get me started on the "Heavenly Bed." Egyptian cotton linens, huge pillows and a thick goose down comforter that will engulf you and hold you and (almost audibly) you'll hear "it's going to be ok, just sleep now." In the bathroom, there are Bulgari bath products but not the little sizes but a nice generous size that you can't use up all at once, and if you ask, they'll bring you more, as much as you want. And the beautiful soaps rest in crystal soap dishes next to the extra soft stack of white towels. Next to the flat screen tv, sitting on the make-up table with the oversized magnifying mirror with a tiny light in it and a linen cloth to lay out your toiletries on. The spa had a very steamy steam room, a cozy warm sauna and more amazing products that I didn't hesitate to sample a little of each one. I cool my face with chilled cloths waiting for me in a tiny glass door refrigerator, sip cucumber laced ice water and wrap up in the Four Seasons robe. My feet slip into the slippers they provided and I float up the elevator a vision in white terry cloth. Back at the room, I longed for a simple cup of coffee and a croissant. All I had to do was pick up the phone and it magically appeared a few moments later. Even the view of Los Angeles was glorious. "This is where I live. I love this city" I think. As we leave, we pass Larry Flint having brunch and a glamorous lady in super high heels and a fur coat, holding a very large Louis Vuitton tote bag. I smile as we walk past them, leaving floating white roses and room service behind.

Boxing Day

We had so much food that we had enough for a boxing day party. Good food and good friends! (Xavia, Jordan and Isaiah pictured)

Christmas Dinner

Abundance! The oxtail was the winner this year as the most delicious dish of the day, thanks to my mother-in-law (left). However, the curried coat, fried sweet potato, rice and peas, mashed potatoes, fried plantain, ham, roated chickens, mac and cheese and rolls weren't bad either! Don't forget the sorrell! And, there were lots of extra dumplings. Mmmmmm...I'm looking forward to our 4pm rematch with the food and a few friends. The celebration continues!

Good Morning!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Joyous Kwanzaa to all!
Out of many--one.
It's all about LOVE!

Thai Food

Well, Our holiday celebration at Grandma Grant's with all the cousins was a blast. Jackson and Isaiah have been initiated into the world of Wii and the most amazing racing track you've ever seen--thanks to Uncle Steve. Certainly life can never be the same for my two little boys.

We braved the cross town traffic and are home now. The Christmas tree is blazing, the last gift has been wrapped, and the boys finally fell asleep while watching Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium followed by Polar Express...and for the die-hard Isaiah, a half hour of Charlie's Angels Full Throttle in mummy and daddy's bed.

Isaiah finally conked out and there's only one thing left to do. Isn't it obvious? Order Thai food.

Life (as always) is good.

Coffee Cake

I have this coffee cake recipe. It was given to me about 20 years ago by a family friend who has since passed away. I would imagine it is at least 20 years older than that, maybe more. Apparently, coffee cake evolved from Kuchen--German cakes that started out in the 17th century as breads and became sweeter in the 20th Century. The crumbly topping came from Struesel, another German treat. I'm going to guess it evolved during simpler times when people still believed in coffee and cake as a civilized part of life.

It's a very simple recipe of flour, an egg, baking powder,sugar, butter. It has a brown sugar, butter and cinnamon crumbly topping. It doesn't have fleur de sel in it. You don't use baker's sugar. It wouldn't taste good with scharfenberger chocolate chips. It is just a simple cake, best enjoyed by someone who isn't in a hurry and still likes to eat cake off a simple china plate while sipping their coffee or tea.

Growing up where I did, eating coffee cake was not for special occasions. It was just like breathing, or sweeping the kitchen or picking some tomatoes, zucchini and onions from the garden for lunch to go with the sweet corn dad just brought in. That was just life.

Now that I live in Los Angeles, I find myself looking for that organic farmers' market where I can see my long lost vegetables again. And maybe that's why for years I have sought out cafes, where I can sit and have a simple pastry and coffee and read and write. It all feels like being back in the kitchen with mom where brown sugar, butter and eggs were the ingredients of life.

Now that the rain is gone...

Where do we go from here? The rain has tucked itself away in the clouds again and the skies gave way today to some gorgeous sunshine. Kids are out in shorts and flipflops on their skateboards. California, I do love you. And Illinois, I miss you!

Seasons

One thing I love about living in Southern California is the weather. Almost any day of the year, you can look out the window and see a kid in shorts and a teeshirt whizzing past on a skateboard. It is sunny...well, a lot. Even when it's cool, you will still see people in shorts and tee shirts (oh, and flip flops of some machination.) Southern California, therefore, I perceive, has an even and easy going temperament. No major highs or lows, just a nice steady even keel. For instance, you never feel the anxst of that first gloomy day of winter when the grass has turned grayish white, the sky is a darkish gray and the cold digs deep into your bones. You also never feel that exquisite pain of joy when in spring, the icy puddle begins to crack and the sweet smell of the earth comes back to you after months of deep and bitter rejection of your longing soul. You never feel that isolation of being snowed in from the world as snowdrifts blow up against your house and cover your front door. In Southern California, you're never forced to stay home and drink hot chocolate and read and think and pray and doodle and stare out the window because you just can't get out of the house. You can never be dark or moody or brooding...t.s. eliot seems a bit over the top...because in southern california, it's just plain sunny, well, almost all the time. So, as the rain comes down and the heater is on, what do I do with these feelings?

Decorating the tree

What the holidays might be about

Stuffing yourself with Gingerbread Cookies, Getting a Christmas Tree, Saying goodbye to your crib so that baby Sam can have it, and doing the family photo at Home Depot. Yep, I think I nailed it.

Standing on the Brink

As ominous as "the brink" sounds as in "the brink of death"--The Brink is actually a new show on the Science Channel about the latest innovative technologies. I am intrigued by the concept and by the trend I've noticed recently where social networking sites, blog sites, tv shows and more are focussing on not just new ideas or better ideas but the best of the best and the newest of the new. And take it one step further--the ideas that will concretely change the world. Have you seen the Xprize Foundation that gives $20million to the team that can create a car that gets 100 miles or more to the gallon, is eco-friendly and is immediately marketable? Television has exhausted reality television with shows that search for the best potential mate, the top chef, the best dancer, the best clothing designer, the most innovative traveller and the smartest Fifth grader. Is the internet taking the concept of best and channelling it through these easily accessed web platforms. And the smart tv channels putting their own spin on it. Frankly, I'm pretty excited about the development.

One celebrity said not too long ago, "I'm really getting into the internet, I just wish it were more organized." I am starting to see a real organization taking place with the internet and technology. Just today I stumbled on a site called "Stumble On" that takes you to the the newest and most creative sites on the web. Delicious helps you find the best blogs and Digg helps you find the best bookmarks. "Brink" helps you find the best media. And all these "bests" are from ordinary people like you and me. It's almost overwhelming. Perhaps we are all geniuses, we just never had the platform to showcase it. :-)

A conversation with a 5 year old

"Mummy, do kangaroos kick really hard?"
Yes, they do.
"Could they bite?"
Yes, I would imagine so, they are wild animals after all.
(silence)
"Mummy?"
Yes?
"Can human's get inside a kangaroo's pouch?"
Is that what you'd like to do buddy?
(pause)
"Yes."

Sounds pretty good to me too.

Salt of the earth

Tuesday morning I had an hour to breathe in the glory that is the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Positioned right on the bay, the seagulls, fog and ships make it all the more alluring. http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/ The FB is a place I go back to on each trip to the Bay Area. I am always drawn in with great anticipation to the Ferry Building. In fact, it is somehow like going home for me--and when I say "home" I mean somewhere deep inside myself. This trip I found myself focused on salt. The night before at Farralon,http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/ I experience crunchy chunks of red Hawaiian sea salt on butter that was a new culinary experience for me. Simple and exquisite. At home I have a few kinds of salt in my pantry, Fleur de Sel, Pink Himalayan, Kosher and Sea Salt to name a few. But I had never bitten into the glorious red crystals and was intrigued. As I went from shop to shop, I searched for salts and I wasn't disappointed. I found every kind you can imagine and more. At the mushroom shop, Far West Fungi, there were tiny salt shakers of mushroom infused salts that were a whole new world for me. Black truffle oil infused salt was another I couldn't resist. At the Boulette's Larder, a French Cafe with a common table in the kitchen, they had all sorts of salts that they had infused with various herbs like Rosemary or Thyme or Fennel. They were packaged in little cups with lids and hand written labels. Who can resist? I tasted a fleur de sel caramel at Miette (means tiny morsel in French) and was renewed in my commitment to make hand made caramels this year (mom's recipe) but with a bit of special salt. I did find a small tin of the red salt at Prather Ranch Meat Co. but not before sampling Filipino salt that is actually hollow and has a nice little crunch to it. There is something just natural and good about salt. It is unassuming. It comes from the earth. It has been relied upon for centuries by every society on the planet. It reminds us that we part of something bigger, more resilient than ourselves. It is god's little gift to us. Something tells me that my salt adventure has just begun.

Kelly loved her tea so much she kissed it

One night Kelly and I stopped by one of my favorite places, The Slanted Door for a late night snack. We sat at the bar and indulged in glass noodles with chunks of fresh crab and crunchy vietnamese eggrolls. Kelly ordered a cup of Lychee Blossom tea. The aroma was unbelievable. We just kept smelling it and thinking "this should be a candle." As the Lychee blossom absorbed the hot water, it opened up and gently floated to the bottom of the glass (not a cup) and was almost too beautiful to drink. But she did anyway, after kissing the glass with sheer joy.

Culinary delights

As promised, I am sharing with you my culinary pleasures from my san fran trip. For some reason, San Francisco has the most amazing experiences available to the simple traveller such as myself. The Ferry building promised and delivered on a fluffy italian donut stuffed with raspberry jam, artisan cheeses, fresh oysters and hand made chocolates. Tonight's dinner at Farralon, featuring "coastal cuisine" complete with giant jelly fish hanging from the ceiling was just amazing. We started with fresh bread and chunks of sweet creamery butter sprinkled generously with red salt crystals. The first course we indulged in caviar and creme fraiche on toast with copious amounts of the condiments: capers, red minced red onion, hard boiled egg and chives. Delicious. Next course was seared scallops and mussels. My main course was a beautifully seared Pike on a bed of black truffle polenta. Dessert was an apple turnover and caramel crunch ice cream that can only be tasted to be believed. I had a glorious time and now i need to go home and see my boys. I miss you!

Isaiah: What it means to be Two

Have you ever walked through a bamboo forest? It is eerily serene, quiet and peaceful. The trees also have a sense of power and majesty. They are very very very tall. And, they are very thick and reproduce like crazy. Bamboo isn't native to Costa Rica, but the bamboo I found in Costa Rica this past February was making it self quite at home. I am longing to be back in this space again. This time I plan to spend more time there and soak it all in. It takes a few hours to hike up to this bamboo forest so I better start getting in shape. The trip is in March. Want to come along?

How I stopped resisting and fell in love with birthday parties

I don't know why for sure, but I've been resisting the whole idea of having a big birthday party for either of the boys--you know the kind with the bouncy, lots of screaming kids, cake, pizza, melt downs, the whole nine yards. I'd say to myself "a nice quiet party at home with the family is all they really need." Well, turns out that the big party is really a blast, not just for the kids (which it totally is) but for the parents too. I mean, how often can you jump around, scream, act silly and not be in the slightest inebriated? I really had a great time on Saturday at Jackson's 5th birthday party. As he opened present after present, I kept shouting "cool" and "no way" and "Thanks so much!" even though none of the gifts were for me. In fact, i had so much fun, I may just plan a big one for Isaiah in March. Afterall, turning 3 is no less important that turning 5...or 44 for that matter! (to see the photo album, go to my Facebook page. If you don't have an account--open one up it's easy.)

Jackson turned 5 and had a great party with his friends at Party Kingdom.

Cheers! I am thankful for my Grant family. Mummy, Rupe, Steve, Lorna, Janel, Jackson and Isaiah: it was a great day! Turkey, ham, mac and cheese, rice and peas, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, cranberry sauce, fried plantain, curry shrimp, rolls, and an avocado that rocked my world. Then on to dessert: chocolate babka, strawberries, rum raisin icecream with tia maria, tea, coffee...life is good! When is it reasonable to start thinking about seconds? Tomorrow we make pumpkin pie. PS My turkey turned out great. Grandma Yordy would have been proud, I hope!

Thanksgiving Morning

I can't believe I am making my first turkey. It's in the oven now and everything seems to be fine. But for a girl raised on a turkey farm, you'd think I'd be an expert. Grandma Yordy always made the turkeys--we always had more than one--and filled the table with plentiful goodness. I always sat at the kiddie table where we younger cousins had to eat some of grandma's less stellar creations like a pear with clove eyes and cherry nose. But the smell of thanksgiving will never leave me and the happy times with my cousins was the best. I hope I can give that to my boys. Click on http://www.blogofjoan.blogspot.com/ to read my twin's blog about our upbringing on the farm and see a pic of the great Robert N. Yordy, our late grandfather.

Fare thee well Fair Carol B!

Today was Carol B's last day as my temp. After 8 glorious months, we bid thee farewell. Remember it's only au revoir, never adieu!

Sleeplessness

My insomnia is perplexing. Three nights of being tired but unable to sleep until 2:30 or 3 am. Then when I did fall asleep, Isaiah woke me up and made me go downstairs to get him a banana. He fell asleep holding a banana and I was awake again for an hour. The upside, I'm having some very creative ideas. Some of them seem a little weird in the light of day but overall, they're pretty good.

Multi-colored carrots

Call me obsessed but I went to another farmer's market today. This one in neighboring Claremont. They had multi-colored baby carrots, dozens of orchids, fingerling potatoes, enormous avodacos, home made flat bread, hummous, taboulleh, fresh squeezed orange juice and--you guessed it--a dozen varieties of gorgeous field mushrooms.
Who am i kidding? I loved it!

tomatoes that taste like tomatoes

Ah Farmer's Markets. I know what you are thinking--artisan cheese, adorable Japanese baby eggplant and 17 varieties of field mushrooms. That's what I think of! Not this time.Today, we decided to wander down to the Pomona farmer's market today and found that it focuses soundly on the basics. Hand picked no-pesticide tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes. (A rarity). Crunchy green onions and the greenest green beans I've since since my days on the farm. It was a nice way to spend my Saturday morning because it reminded me that there are still people in the world who care about real delicous vegetables grown in (gasp) dirt! Now don't call me a hypocrite when I blog about the amazing farmer's market and epicurean delights at the Ferry Building in San Francisco next month. Because sometimes a girl needs Japanese baby eggplant, caviar, handcrafted chocolates, tiny cakes and cookies and a steaming cup of French Press coffee with heavy cream. Can you blame me?

I thought I'd experiment and see what the shadows were up to today.

hidden in plain sight...
Today I caught the late afternoon sun shining through the glass door of my office surprising me with this stunning and wistful display of shadows.



When I went back a few minutes later, it was gone.

Whales in my dreams

For years I have had recurring dreams about going to the shore and looking longingly at the water...and waiting...then, a whale would rise to the surface and leap into the air...and I would be filled with euphoria. I recently found a book about whales at a thrift store that I picked up for my kids. Here is my favorite page. I wish I had written it.

...whales do not know
as they rise up for a breath of air,
that someone is standing on the shore
and his (her) heart is filling up.
Filling up and ready to burst.
Whales do not know how they change people,
how they make them better,
how they make them kind.
Like angels appearing in the sky,
whales are proof of God.

Unexpected gift

An exhibit I stumbled upon at the New York City Public Library. This mythical artist colony (founded in 1900 and nestled in upstate NY) has hosted the likes of Langston Hughes, Truman Capote and Sylvia Plath before anyone knew who they were. One reporter said, "...One sonnet would justify the whole experience." I felt I had wandered into another world, one I wish I had belonged to.

Being inspired

TED has opened up my world. What is TED? Jaw-droppingly good lectures by the world's most accomplished people in Technology Entertainment and Design. It's too expensive to go to the yearly conference but luckily we can now view it all on http://www.ted.com/.

I am awed by human capability for invention and innovation. This video is one of the most ingenious things I've ever seen. Hans Rosling shows how statistics can be translated into compelling images.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html

This video shows how eventually, we'll need to say goodbye to our beloved keyboard and mouse. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jeff_han_demos_his_breakthrough_touchscreen.html

I am intrigued. I want to be a part of what I find on TED. Not sure how yet, but it will come.

Saturday Fun

Today I worked the Tailgate Party at Pitzer. It was fun but I'm still not recovered from the flu so it almost killed me. We had a great turnout (over 200 people) but afterwards, I just went home and the boys and I slept for over 3 hours. Then we watched cartoons. Quality family time!

the end of a birthday

Well, my birthday is coming to a close. No major fanfare, diamond earrings or fancy dinners. Just a good day. At my great job with fabulous colleagues, with my boys eating spaghetti and watching Monster's inc. That's a good birthday.

Today was a good day because I figured out what I want to do with my life. No really, I know exactly what it is. It happened during a phone call. The light bulb came on. This is what I want to do with my life. Pretty cool huh? It only took me 44 years to figure it out. But maybe that is what is actually good about getting older. All the pieces start falling into place and if you are lucky, you know what you want to do. Well, at least one of the things that you want to do.

But I can't tell you. If I tell my birthday wish, it won't come true right? Or maybe that doesn't apply to birthday revelations. In any case, when it does happen, you'll know! My boys have collapsed into sleep (including Rupe) so I have a few quiet moments to reflect on today. Good Night!

Birthday Presents!

Thanks everyone for the cute gifts! I am having a good day!

Midnight

At midnight I ate a piece of chocolate cake while watching a recording of 30 Rock. This morning Isaiah woke me with an ear peircing "It's Happy Birthday Time!" Then we had a round of pancakes and some chocolate cake. It's going to be a good day.

The night before our Birthday

Yes, I said "our" birthday. It is the night before jean and joan's birthday. November 14th is a great birthday. I love that we were born in the 60s. That we didn't have computers or cell phones in college and wore bell bottoms in kindergarten. I am amazed that we were born in a very different time--simpler times--Of farming, home made quilts and pies, and church on Sunday.

I can still pass some of that down to them--i make mom's homemade caramels and take them to visit the farm, see the turkeys, run in the corn fields and raise them to know that we have a responsibility to care for the earth and one another and that everyone should be treated equally.

They are already living in a world of YouTube, blogs, facebooks, blackberries and no kid goes to college without a computer. I am happy that my children's first president is a Black president (I don't count GWB) and that finally people are beginning to be outraged at discrimination against gays. I'm happy that the women's movement brought us to a place where we can make a difference and they'll respect their wives for who they are...some day.

Joan's in Nashville and I'm in L.A. but we're celebrating anyway. i don't need any gifts because a twin is the best gift of all. (although a girl should never turn down diamond earrings if they should happen to come her way.)

Today

Today I woke up feeling really relaxed and peaceful. Usually I wake up and say "oh crap."

Potholder Vests

For us, church meant sitting on wooden pews and singing hymns at the old Mennonite Church house in Dillon, Illinois. This photo is of us in the basement of the church wearing what appears to be vests crocheted out of yarn, similar to a potholder. Those were the days of innocence and wonder.

Karla Kuskin & Sandy Mantle

I was Karla and Joan was Sandy. Our husbands were in the army. That's why they were never around. The monkeys were our kids. We fixed up an empty corn crib like a cool store. That's where we worked to make money to take care of our monkeys since our husbands were off in the war. We could play Karla and Sandy for days.

The real Karla Kuskin is an award-winning author and poet. This image is from her children's book, "Cool Cat, Hot Dog." Sandy Mantle was entirely made up.

Monkeys

Joan and I always played with Monkeys when we were kids. Mine was named Seymour and Joan's was named Punch. We put diapers on them and rolled them around in a stroller. They were our kids. Monkeys are better than dolls. They are cuter, they eat bananas, and they don't talk back. They even let you put lipstick and frilly clothes on them. Pictured (l-r) Punch, Seymore.