Walnuthaven Cottage

I'm back! And it's Show & Tell Friday...A treasured gift

2009-11-13T00:06:00.000-08:00

Hi there all! It's been so long! To Long! Needless to say, life has been busy, busy, busy. I'm managing my time better but trying to get that blogging time into the schedule has been a challenge. I'm working on it though :0)
I decided to make my re-entry into Blogville via Show & Tell Friday, which is now hosted by the beautiful Cindy over at My Romantic Home. Be sure to pay her a visit and see who else is "showing and telling" today.

Not to long ago, I was gifted with these vintage pieces. My dad's significant other knows of my love of vintage and antique items. She was out and about at a yard sale about a week ago and came upon these beauties. I've done a bit of my own research on them and have discovered they were made by Taylor Smith Taylor and are pattern 1825. They were discontinued in either 1941 or 1942. I've all ready used them and I just have to say, food looks even better when served in antique/vintage china :0)
Oh! I wanted to add that these four items were bought for $0.25 each! SERIOUSLY!

The lid is just
slightly askew on this one.
Oops!

Miss Maxine (or Nana Maxx as my youngest children call her) is one of those truly beautiful women whose beauty begins deep in her heart. This is a gift that is truly treasured. She is and has been such a blessing to my father and to our family. We love her so much.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I sure hope you'll let me know you were here. Have a Fabulous Friday!

Show & Tell Friday 10/9

2009-10-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! It's time for Show & Tell now being hosted by Cindy @ My Romantic Home. Just have to say Thank you to Kelli (There is no place like home) for such a wonderful job at hostess before passing it to Cindy.

I've been making wee changes here at home and thought I'd share it with you and also get some feedback. My blogging buddies have never steered me wrong.

I have a love of tassels, as I know many of us bloggers do, but I was never able to find one I "loved" and I'm just not handy enough to make my own. While visiting my blogging buddy Jenny @ Candlelit Cottage, I decided to ask her to make a tassel that would blend with my kitchen, dining and living areas (I like to move things around...A LOT!). Then I noticed a rather pudgy tassel that would be great in my dining area. Look at these beauties! Aren't they fantastic?! Be sure to stop by Jenny's and say "Hey!". She's one of the nicest bloggerinas out there!

I love how it looks
hanging on my china cabinet door

I know I've all ready shared this picture,
but here you get the "big picture".
I just love my pudgy tassel.

This is the tassel I requested from Jenny.
I told her my colors and she put this beauty together.
She's so creative!
I know you can't really get the full impact of the
red finial soooo...

Daisy getting in on the picture taking fun...

Now you can really get
the full impact of it's colors and look...

I also wanted to share my crate labels.
I purchased these when we first started
the face lift on the kitchen...way back when.
Framing each one would have been very costly
and I didn't want to spend that much, so I found this frame
and Mr. WHC framed and got them up on the wall for
all to see and enjoy. Especially me!

And the E-A-T l;etters were moved here. I know the A is a bit off. I'll be climbing back up there to set the letters flush with the ceiling. Well as flush as I can anyway...I don't think I have a truly "flush" wall anywhere in this house, lol!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing a part of your day with me. I hope the rest of your day and weekend are FABULOUS!

Autumn has finally arrived....

2009-10-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Remember me? I know it's been a long while since I've been here or around, but I have been so incredibly busy. The bottom line? I need to learn how to better manage my time. This year I am active in PTA, not just a volunteer for functions and such, but the treasurer and on the board. It's been quite the experience so far, and imagine, I've got until June! Egads! Thankfully last year's treasurer is a truly wonderful person and she has been "training" me, plus the school staff and principle are appreciative and fantastic! I do love that I'm building better and stronger relationships with these individuals.

HAPPY AUTUMN !!!
Living in So Cal means there is no such thing as a 'change of season'. As a matter of fact I am looking out my front window and not a "turning" leaf is in sight! Ten years ago when we moved here, we did get to appreciate the turning of the leaves as the majority of our neighborhood had Maple trees planted in their front yards. Well, about four/five years ago, the trees contracted a disease that spread (via air) and all the trees were removed :0(.
Now, I make my own Autumn. I've always been one to decorate for the seasons...and Autumn is no exception. I begin putting little things up as soon as the kids go back to school and my Autumn decor stays up until The day after Thanksgiving.

This year I felt like Autumn was never going to arrive. As of last week we were still experiencing temps in the high 90s and triple digits. As of Friday we were still in the low 90s and then WHAM! Autumn made herself known on Saturday, entering in with breezy days and temps that were comfortable. Windows were once again opened to let those fresh breezes blow through and the A/C was set to "OFF". The past few days have been glorious and cool. Today my kids actually wore long pants and jackets to school for the first time since April! I sit here with socks on my feet sipping on a cup of Earl Gray....oh Autumn, how I love that you are finally, finally here....

(click on any picture to enlarge)

Come in, Come in...

A happy vignette
greets you
as you come inside...

I still haven't decided what color
I'm painting this cabinet...
but in the meantime
it gets a
bit of "dressing"
for the season...

Simple touches of Autumn
here and there...
(oh! There's my pepper shaker!)

A favorite place to just "be"
Mr. WHC brought those flowers
to me "Just Because". I cut the stems down
and arranged them in a jar.
The tablecloth is a gift
from my friend J.J.
I hosted Bunco this month and all the gals
bring the "hostess" her gift of choice.
I had "Autumn decor and tablecloths" on my "wish list".
As you can see, this is "both" in one.
Woot! Woot!

Thank you so much for stopping by and for not forgetting about me. I appreciate all the comments I've received and will be doing my best to get "out and about" and re-acquaint myself with everyone. I've missed you all!

Blue Monday 9/14. & VTT 9/17--The old school desk

2009-09-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! It's time for Blue Monday again! Be sure to pay our hostess, Smiling Sally, a visit and see who else is sharing the blue's. I'm also going to share this for my Vintage Thingies Thursday which is hosted by Suzanne @ Colorado Lady.
Have a fantastic day everyone!

How I love our old vintage school desk. Twenty-two years ago my daughter's paternal grandfather gifted her with this desk. He used to be a school custodian and one day he was given the chore of clearing and disposing of items that had been locked in the storage rooms. He came upon many school desks that had been stored and forgotten. He found homes for as many as he could and my daughter was one of the lucky children to receive one. This desk has been well used and well loved. I often think of the secrets and wishes that may have been made by the children who sat here and I know of some wishes my own children have made....ahhh, if this desk could only speak and tell us her story. When Mr Cottage and I were newly married, I had to leave sweet desk behind and a family member left her out in the rain and to weather the elements. When we returned for her, she was in sad shape. The entire desk top had to be replaced. Thankfully Mr Cottage had a friend who was a carpenter who used the old desk top as a template. you can see the notches that were "copied" where the pens were to be laid and right in the middle of those notches is a place where the "ink well" would have been kept. I still have the ink well but we chose not to add the "hole" for fear that the kids would damage it or hurt themselves. Yes, this little desk is still used. My girls used it until they could no longer fit, and now my "soon to be" 10 year old uses it when he does his homework. It won't be long til he can no longer fit. Not to worry, the baby of the bunch uses the desk as well. Right now it's painted the blue the kids wanted but the younger ones are screaming for red. I wonder how it would look? LOL!
P.S. never mind those stains on the carpet. That's what happens when you let a toddler walk around with a sippy cup filled with grape juice. Oy! One day that nasty old carpet will be lifted and the 55 year old oak floors beneath, will be refinished. It's on the "list".

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your day and have a fantastic week!

We will never forget...

2009-09-11T07:18:00.001-07:00

Yummy Banana Bread

2009-09-06T12:49:00.001-07:00

With the incredible heat we've been experiencing, the bananas on our counter ripened faster then we could eat them (this was with the a/c on!). I hate to waste food, and although it was pretty warm, I decided to bake some banana bread for my Mr. WHC. Good thing I'm able to close off my kitchen :0)

You'll need to...
Preheat oven to 350 degrees...

Mash 2 1/3 cups of over ripe bananas
set aside...

Cream together
1/2 cup butter & 3/4 cup brown sugar

beat two eggs and then stir together
with creamed sugar/butter
and ripe bananas until well blended.
Set aside...

Mix together
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tspn baking soda
1 /4 tspn salt
1/4 tspn nutmeg
1 tspn cinnamon...

Stir banana mixture into flour mixture.
Stir just enough to moisten...

Pour batter into prepared 9x5 loaf pan.
(I just use a non stick pan or
non stick cooking spray,
but you can flour your loaf pan)
Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes or until inserted
toothpick/fork prong comes out clean.
Let bread cool in pan
for 10 minutes then turn out
onto wire rack.

Mmmm. ..Enjoy!

Remember, you can add nuts, chips or raisins if you choose. I just didn't have any on hand.

Treasure Craft Canister Set-Vintage Thingies Thursday

2009-09-02T22:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday!

It's time for Vintage Thingies Thursday! Please pay a visit to Suzanne @ Colorado Lady and see who else rolls vintage...

Treasure Craft Canister Set...

Some would like to slap me for using them this way,
but it works for me "right now".
I use them as
storage in my laundry room.
I've got dryer sheets in one,
legos and toys from my boys pockets in another,
loose change or what I like to
call "tip money" in another...

This set originally belonged to my Sis-In-Law's BFF, then my SIL had them for a while through the 80s and most of the 90s. She gifted them to me in 1997 after seeing how much I admired them. I'm guessing these canisters are somewhere around 25-30 years old. Just old enough to be considered "vintage".
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a fab day!

Easy Cobbler...

2009-08-31T09:40:00.001-07:00

So easy and So yummy too!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take 1 stick of butter (1/4 cup) put in 9x14 pan and put in oven to melt. While that's melting mix together...

1 cup white flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
(you can use 1 cup sugar if you like your topping "not so sweet")
2 tsp baking powder

Add 1 cup milk...

Remove pan from oven and pour mixture
on top of melted butter...

Two cans of your choice of pie filling.
Obviously, we had Cherry...yum!

Open cans and pour fruit
on top of batter...

Bake for 35-40 mins
or until golden brown...

Serve...
I didn't have any ice cream,
but this tastes GREAT "a la mode"...

Enjoy!

A special tablecloth-Show & Tell 8/28

2009-08-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

TGIF !!! You know what that means! It's time for "Show & Tell" Friday, hosted by the oh so gracious Kelli @ There's is no place like home. Be sure to pay her a visit and see who else is sharing their treasures today.

If you've gotten to know me then you know I have a "thing" for tablecloths. A couple of years ago Mr Walnuthaven and our youngest guys took a shopping trip to pick my mother's day present. Hubby had picked a totally different cloth but when my eldest boy saw this one, he knew his momma would love it. And of course, I do.

The tablecloth
dressed...

The dishes/set I've had for over 24 years
with the cups and saucers being a
more recent addition to my
existing set...

The glassware was given to me
when my mother passed away.
I remember mom letting us
use the glasses for special occasions...

Thanks for stopping by and saying "Hi!". I hope you have a fabulous day!

From Days Gone By....Vintage Thingies Thursday

2009-08-20T22:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday! It's time for Vintage Thingies Thursday, so graciously hosted by Suzanne @ Colorado Lady. Be sure to pay her a visit and see who else does it in vintage style.

As mentioned in Monday's post, I spent some time at the Bailey's Palomar Resort in Palomar Mountain, CA. It's a beautiful place that has tons of history and it is pure vintage.

For your vintage viewing pleasure...

Old Fashioned Refrigerators...
My parents actually
had an "ice box" back in the day...

The General Store...
Sometimes it's hard to imagine
that some of these things
were used
in "one's" daily
life...

What a beautiful old cash register...
I can just hear it
ringing up those sales
Ka Ching!

pretty glass...

I do believe
I'm in love with this vanity...sigh*
Oooo, and look at those old books
Bigger sigh*

Although this sweet dresser sure pulls at my heart strings too!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and say "Hi!". I hope you enjoyed what I've shared today and I hope the rest of your day is a great one!

Happiness is...

2009-08-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

Brand New Cookware...(sigh*)

I"m one of those gals that loves getting things for the home and things that will make my "chores" easier to handle. I like to cook but detest having to use old cookware that no longer does what it's supposed to, is warped or doesn't cook evenly. Well, my old set had seen better days and about a month ago I started looking for a new one.

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of my housewares family...

Cook's Cookware. 10=piece set of hard anodized cookware with clear glass lids (love that!!!) These are easy to clean, cook the food with evenly distributed heat and I'm so happy! Can you tell? They are a bit on the heavier side and I do need to use a pot holder when touchng the handles on the glass lids as they can heat up when left for periods of time (as in simmering).

(photo is from Ucanhealth.com)

Love the glass lids!

Yummy!
Breakfast potatoes cooked to perfection...

We purchased these about two weeks ago when they were 50% off! Plus that Saturday, JCPenney's was having an additional 15% off sale as well. Our total cost was about $135.

I am one happy, cooking momma bear :0)

Celebrating Blue's on Blue Monday

2009-08-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Blue Monday is hosted by the ever gracious Sally @ Smiling Sally. Be sure to pay her a visit and see who else has got the blue's...

This past Saturday we took a trip on up to Bailey's Palomar Resort in Palomar Mountain. It is a beautiful place with lots of history.

Can you find the blue
sitting on the old stove?
Blue, Blue, where's the Blue...?

I lllooovvveee this old stove...

I took a few shots inisde what was the General Store (and Post office at one time)

This scale is absolutely to cool!

I know you can find the blue here.
Isn't all this stuff just awesome?!
So much history...

Thanks for stopping by and spending some time with me. I hope you have a great "rest of your day" !!!

Time for "Show & Tell"...

2009-08-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

with Kelli @ There is No Place Like Home. Be sure to pay her a visit and see who else is sharing their special treasures, their going's on, and what not.

This is my first "Show & Tell' since getting back on line after a long hiatus due to computer issues.

These are the side shelves in my kitchen. They were added to give me more storage and display space. As you can see they became more of a catch all for "this and that", dirt, and clutter. Gasp! Shame, shame, shame on me for letting junk pile up in my vintage, red pyrex bowl! Tsk, Tsk!
I felt it was time for some change in this area of my kitchen and fast!

before...

Now this area is cleaned up, and showing some personality. The toleware tray is something that was in my dining room but I felt it needed a new home. Since I've been incorporating some black accents (along with the reds/greens), I thought it would look just fine here. What do you think? On the top shelf I'd like to find a plate with more red but after shopping the house, this was all I could find for now. On the center shelf I simply covered the tops of some old Mason jars I had, with some of my favorite toile (Waverly Country Life) print and some cute black/ecru gingham ribbon. Such a simple adornment but it makes a nice "pop". The bottom shelf houses some of my most used cook books and a yummy smelling vanilla candle. So? What do you think? Anything else I should add or do?

After...

Yes, that's my dining room/eating area. I have a rather cozy home and our dining area is used daily.

Thanks for stopping by and saying "Hi!". I hope you have a Fabulous Day!

Vintage Thingies Thursday

2009-08-13T02:43:00.000-07:00

It's time for Vintage Thingies Thursday...once again! Be sure to stop on over Suzanne, The Colorado Lady, and see who else is sharing their vintage treasures

This is a pasta bowl that belonged to my mother.
I remember it sitting on the rack, sometimes filled with cookie packs, faux rubber grapes,
or some other "froo froo" to look pretty. On the back it is stamped with a copyright/circa
(A "C" with a circle around it) 1056-Made in the USA by the Los Angeles Pot ----
I cant read the last word :0(

For being 53 years old,
it is in wonderful condition,
having no scratches,
chips, cracks or fading.
It has some crazing though.

A Simple Re=Purposing Act...(second time around Tuesday)

2009-08-11T00:47:00.000-07:00

After posting, I realized this would fit in perfectly for 2nd time around Tuesday. My FIRST ever!

Thank you Diane At A Picture is Worth a 1000 words for being a gracious hostess and letting me "play" along. This is a wonderful Tuesday party I'll enjoy for sure!

I've always disliked the bottles that cooking oil comes in.
Why can't it be prettier,
less bulky,
functional,
practical
and pleasing to "my" eye...?
(no, I don't ask for much, do I?)

OH!
A resolution to the "bulky" problem
but yet this idea posed another problem...
the vinegar cruet was to small
and I was re-filling
this baby every week....
Can you say messy, messy, messy?!
(I cook almost every day and always like to put a dab of oil in my pan/pot)

Hmmm, thinking, thinking...
(tapping forehead Ala Pooh Bear)

Well, Look-ey Here!!!
It's red so it will blend well with the kitchen decor,
it's a good size...
will my drizzler top fit?
Oh please let it fit!

Perfection!
I am one happy cooking momma.
Seriously!
Why buy an oil drizzler from one of those home stores for way more $ then I wish to spend, when I can re-purpose something as common as a glass soda bottle? Plus this is a large bottle! Perfect for the amount of cooking I do for my large family. This bottle is 500ml which is about 16.9oz. For the heck of it, I got on line and checked out a couple of websites to see how much a 'drizzler' in this size would cost. I found a ceramic one for $8.99 but other then that there wasn't one this big or one that I liked as much as I like this one.

A simple re-purposing act...

So what have you recycled or re=purposed lately?

*(No Coca Cola bottles were harmed in the making of this drizzler)

Blue Monday 8/10

2009-08-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Blue Monday! I'm especially happy because this is my first Blue Monday post since finally FINALLY getting back on line and getting all those computer problems worked out. If you're a lover of blue, be sure to visit Smiling Sally and see who else has the "blue's"

Sweet hankie w/touches of blue.
A gift from my bloggy friend
Deb @ Garage Sale Gal.
Deb is a wonderfully friendly
and generous person.
Give her a visit!

How I usually have it displayed...

Ta Da...

Thanks for stopping by and spending a bit of time with me. I hope the rest of your day is GREAT!!!

A drive through my favorite neighborhood...

2009-08-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

This is the area that was first settled and developed here in my city. I love that this neighborhood is not "cookie cutter". Each house is different in style and in size and yet they all seem to blend and belong together.

(click on any picture to enlarge)

This home is so big I couldn't get it to fit in my lens! Hmm, looks like I caught some sort of anomaly standing on it's front porch. Wonder if it's haunted, lol!

A Tudor...(excuse the trash cans as it was "trash day" for this neighborhood)

This is one of my very favorites! Isn't this just the sweetest cottage?! I lllooovvveee the color scheme.

Another sweet cottage. I've been inside this house and those dormers are the windows to the two top bedrooms. The ceilings are also angled and it added such charm! I also love the red door. It just screams "welcome!" to me.

Can you just imagine sipping on an ice cold lemonade as you sit and relax on this front porch?

Thanks for coming along with me!

A view from my window...

2009-08-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day begins. The morning sun just starting to shine upon "my" mountain, promises another warm and beautiful day. In the morning hours, after dear hubby has left for work and the eldest has left for her classes, I sit and enjoy a steaming cup of coffee and the special quiet that permeates the air. This is "my" time...my special quiet time to just enjoy the morning and the view from my window.
Have a wonderful day!

Re-introducing....

2009-07-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

Myself!
My name is Rechelle. Remember me? Of course you do! I have to tell you, I have MISSED you all and have really MISSED blogging too. When the computer blew I really went through with drawls because I didn't get my daily dose of computer and blogging time. The pro's of not having a computer that was easily accessible was that I had a cleaner house, I caught up on some reading and spent lots of time swimming with the kids :0)
I know it has been beyond "a long time" since I've been here but I tell you, who knew computer issues could run so deep? After it's repair, all the settings needed to be "tweaked and refined". I have an ancient monitor and I tell you getting the screen resolution to mesh with the settings was a big pain in my big old butt! No joke!
Just a quick update.
My youngest girl graduated High School... and my youngest "guys" officially began their summer in the second week of June.
We are enjoying our summer. The third week of June we took a family vacation into Northern California. Wouldn't you know "they" were experiencing a heatwave and temps were over 100 degrees the four days we were there. Of course, Murphy had to strike...as in "Murphy's Law". As we are rolling through Sacramento where the temps were 105 at the time, the air conditioning in the rear of the good "old" minivan decided to take a dump and stopped working. Okay, fine. The remaining hour on the road was hot and horrible but we reached our destination just a little bit worse for the wear...but we did manage to see sights anyway.
We took the kids to Coloma to Sutter's Mill where they panned for gold and learned about the California Gold Rush.

The Mill...The American River...
Tools of the
"panning for gold"
trade...

We also drove into Old Town Sacramento (had all ready found an a/c joint to give the a/c a re-charge) and visited the Train museum. We're talking "full size locomotives, rail cars, and dining cars". It is a wonderful place to visit to familiarize "oneself" with the history of the train and it's railways.
(sorry about the quality. They're dark, but if you click on any pic you can enlarge them for a better "view")

Overlooking the trains...

We then travelled south to my "favorite place" and if you've been following my blog you all ready know that my favorite place (aside from Disneyland) is the central coast. We spent three days on the coast just lazing about on the beaches, enjoying the small coastal towns and just enjoying the time we had together. Being that our youngest girl begins College this fall we knew that this would probably be our last "true" vacation where she was able to "come along".

Love the ocean...

Checking out the tide pools...

We love the beach!!!

Ahhh, it's a clump of sea weed trying to get me!

We also celebrated my eldest girl's 24th birthday with a yummy dinner of green chicken enchiladas and a rather tasty lemon cooler cake from Costco. These "lazy days of summer" are proving to be rather busy ones instead. We've been enjoying our local library and checking out books, renting dvd's, and next Monday my youngest two (the guys) will begin a round of swimming lessons that their "Tata and Nana Max" gifted them with just today.

So now you are all caught up (pfew!). Be sure to let me know you were here! I'll "see" you soon as I begin to make my rounds and re-acquaint myself with everyone of you!

Computer is fixed...

2009-07-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

and now I'm just waiting for it to be returned to me. Apparently the surge took out the power source. While it was being repaired, it got some upgrades and got "cleaned up". I just wanted to pop in and say "hey!", let you know I'm here and miss visiting and chatting.
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer...
"See" you soon!

I'm still here. Really, I am!

2009-06-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

OMGosh how I miss blogging and my fellow bloggerinas. I cannot, I repeat, cannot find my program for my camera so that I can upload my photos...blah! and %&#@%^ !!!
How is everyone doing? Are all the kiddies out of school for the summer? My youngest ones finished up last week and my youngest girl graduated HS! That came upon us fast!
I hope everyone is doing well. I am great. Just missing you all.
I am going to try and download a program I found to see if I can use it to start getting pics up again.
We are going on vacation the end of this week. Travelling into Northern California. I cannot wait!
Hugs to all. TTFN!

Hey All!

2009-06-11T14:27:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to pop in and say I'm still here :0). We have someone checking out my fried puter too see if and what can be salvaged. In the meantime I have access to this one (yay!). I need to dowload some programs so I can use it for pictures and such and that will take a bit of time but at least I have access.
Just wanted to let you know I miss you and blogging (so much!) and will be "back" asap.

Hugs to all!

My computer was zapped...

2009-06-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago we had a summer storm. There was the usual showers, thunder and lightning. It was actually a welcome storm as we don't get very many around here. As I was sitting in my kitchen I happened to look out the window and saw a lightning bolt strike the power grid just a few blocks away. You guessed it. Our power went out and was out for about two hours. Unfortunately when I tried re-starting our computer, it just wouldn't :0(. I've reset it as well as it's switch and the best it will do is power up, begin to set up Windows and then it suddenly just stops running and goes dead. Obviously there is a problem of sorts and I don't know what it is. I won't be able to take it to the repair shop until next week. So, I"m here but I may not be posting much for a while.

I hope everyone is doing okay.

Outdoor Wednesday--I love the Coast...

2009-06-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

It's time for Outdoor Wednesday which is so graciously hosted by Susan @ The Southern Daydreamer. Be sure to pay her a visit and see who else is the "outdoorsy" type.

(*I know I've shared these pics in the past, but I've made so many new blogging friends, I know the pics will be "new" to some)

The infamous highway 46 (FKA highway 466) where actor James Dean lost his life. He was attempting to make that right hand turn onto highway 41.
We take this highway on our way up to the central coast. In the spring, these hills are as green as can be.

Cruising up scenic Highway 1.
You can see the fog rolling in...

And as we were cruising up the highway,
this was the view from my window.
Isn't it awesome
how the clouds mimic the shape/wave
of the ocean waters?
Almost like magic...

Bobbing on the water...

Elephant Seals sunbathing...

Hey! Don't be throwing me
"the fin"!

Mine, Mine, Mine...

High tide...
Isn't it amazing
how the ocean waters
can change the colors
depending on the "day"?
This day was gray and overcast...

This is the picture I have
in my "about me/profile" area.
It is one of my very favorite
spots to just "be"...

Thanks for visiting the coast with me. I sure hope you enjoyed yourself...

Please Keep "our" soldier in prayer...

2009-06-02T07:41:00.003-07:00

My nephew Austin.
He's off to Afghanistan...

Prayer for the Safety of a Soldier

Almighty and eternal God,
those who take refuge in you will be glad
and forever will shout for joy.
Protect these soldiers as they discharge their duties.
Protect them with the shield of your strength
and keep them safe from all evil and harm.
May the power of your love enable them to return home
in safety, that with all who love them,
they may ever praise you for your loving care.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.