Nannie comes to town! Nov-Dec 2025

The days are foreshortened this time of year, sunset comes early.  Maybe that's why the two weeks Nannie was here flew by so fast.  Or perhaps it's because we packed in as much as we could.  We were very lucky with the weather, none of those 95° afternoons or a foot of snow or atmospheric rivers of rain of years past, nope, we enjoyed sunshine and cool temps every day!  Perfect for playing in these abbreviated late-autumn days.  Two weeks of fun!

She flew in (from her home in Maryland) two days before Thanksgiving -- great timing.  Son, Matt, and granddaughter, Evie, arrived on Wednesday for an overnight visit, meaning he'd have an early start for prepping "da bird" on Thanksgiving.  (Daughter-in-law, Jen had to work [she's a nurse].)  Nannie, Evie and I had a ball on the swing set.

Naturally, Matt brought Lucy, seen above with him and his aunt, Nannie.  You might notice that we're not a formal family 😄, ours is a wacky, fun-loving family.

I took lots of photos, so some were corralled in collages.  The one picture I took of the five of us at our festive table was the only Thanksgiving disaster.  Instead, at top is my plate FULL of our delicious dinner.  Matt "spatchcocked" the turkey, bottom left, and stuck it on the grill -- turned out yummy.  He also made his signature green beans, and a corn-y cornbread casserole.  Nannie made a pecan pie.  Yessiree, we ate well!  I don't know who the skinny guy is, bottom right.  Nannie arrived in time for the last of our beautiful Dogwood tree color.

Evie and Nannie spent time coloring turkey pictures before we ate.

Everyone had a great time Wednesday/Thursday; the youngsters went home Thursday evening. I think we were all pretty tired, especially us older folks. Friday Nannie, Jimmy and I did a bit of shopping and sightseeing in iconic downtown Grass Valley, which was all dressed up for Christmas.  

Saturday the three of us checked out a Craft Faire at the fairgrounds, followed by a cool visit to Mt. St. Mary's Convent and Academy, also in Grass Valley, and its historic museum, with exhibits on local history, especially women's roles, and featuring artifacts from its past as an orphanage and convent.  Built in 1865, it's the oldest standing convent building in the US west of the Rockies, and it was placed on the Nat'l Register of Historical Places in 1974.  We'd not been in the museum before, it was really interesting.

Nannie (upper) and me (lower) at the main entrance.

The oranges and reds of autumn provide color, and these roses prove it.

This scene is on the lovely church/museum grounds.

One day we drove up-the-hill to Truckee with the intent of going for a walk/hike, stopping first at the Donner Memorial St Pk visitor center and Pioneer Monument.  But at 6000', the 37° temp was bone-chilling, and we didn't last long outside.  At left, above, we're standing next to some tall critter at Layton Park by Lake Tahoe.  At right, Nannie poses with the Snow Sheds as a backdrop, plus a dusting of snow on Donner Peak.

Me 'n Jimmy at the Monument.

We enjoyed lunch at Jax @ the Trax in Truckee, a diner with good food, then walked across the tracks to the Truckee train depot where a kind stranger took our pic, above.  Best of all, we watched an Amtrak train pull into the station, drop off a few people and pick up around the same number.  That took roughly three minutes, then it blasted off, down-down-down the mountains toward Reno.

In between gadding about, we played cards (Hand 'n Foot), met friends for coffee, bought veggies at our Saturday farmers market, picked up a couple of books at the library book sale, attended a (very bad) community concert, went on walks, and tried to beat each other at Scrabble many nights ... and more.  We had such a good time -- I wish she could've stay longer ....

And we sat with Santa (at the fairgrounds)!

* * * * *

Here in the foothills, we've basked in above-average temps and daily sunshine, while the central valley has been bedeviled by weeks of tule fog -- chill, damp, and depressing.  We hoped the fog would've lifted one early afternoon when we drove down to the Woodruff rice towers and Gray Lodge to view the birds, but we were skunked on this one.  Not much action and not many birds, and the damp cold hurt; thus, no hiking.  Instead, we did the auto tour.  The Snow Geese, above, stand as statues.

In November 2019, Jimmy and I encountered so much birdlife

it literally made my head spin.  Not so much today.

Cormorants.

Can you count how many?

Top left looks like a juvenile Snow Goose, and top right features a "wake" of turkey buzzards, bottom left is a ginormous rose bush covered in elongated rose hips.  Bottom right:  Blackbirds disguising themselves as leaves. 

Even with a cold wind and a dismal sky, we enjoyed our outing.

Double your pleasure!

Haha, every time I see this picture, I laugh.  You should see the outtakes, hahaha! On Saturday, the 6th, we drove to Matt's (new) house in Fair Oaks (approx an hour away) where this pic was taken, spending several hours visiting, talking, laughing, and playing silly games with Evie.  (We missed Jen again, but she was working.)  Oh my, if I could grant the world one wish, it would be to have as much joy and love and fun as we do!

Finally, on Dec 7th, Nevada City held its first Victorian Christmas of the season.  We go every year, and Nannie comes with us when she's in town, it's "the thing to do," and we usually end up buying something we need (or a present), so it's a win-win.  This year was no exception.  After a few hours on our feet, we were ready to go home.

Like I said, the two weeks disappeared in a flash, but we're soooo grateful we had them!  Jimmy and I drove Nannie to SMF (Smurf) on Tuesday the 9th.  We miss her lots, but we know she's enjoying time with her own family in her new Maryland home (which makes US happy).  Now we'll play catch-up for the looming holiday.  I know, Nannie, I know, it's our turn next!

Home Sweet Home 3/24/25

We've been home a week now and are finally caught-up, up-to-date, and -- me particularly -- no longer feeling brain dead!  Hallelujah, snow that fell before we flew from Hawaii had melted, but NorCal's chill temps hit us hard.  This close to the end of March means icy winter is on the wane and spring will be fully upon us soon (we hope).  At least there isn't a foot of snow on the ground!

Our two-week visit to Maui was so extra-special and, again, thanks to Diane and Tom for inviting us to join them.  We had great fun in the evenings playing the card game called Hand and Foot, or Mexican Train Dominoes, and even threw in Yahtzee one night.  They brought the required six decks of cards, and we brought the four pounds of dominoes (plus weightless Yahtzee).  Shall I mention that girls beat the guys in cards over and over?  Dominoes had no overall winner.

I had to include these last (full) day gorgeous cloudscape photos, taken from our lanai.  We saw lots of different level clouds this day, including some truly billowing tropical "pillows."  Each moment brought a new view in the everchanging sky, dramatic and spellbinding.   

And this warm, saltwater pool.  Every day I swam.  Jimmy joined me sometimes, and we stood at the far end resting our elbows on the infinity ledge looking at breaching whales or watching golfers below us.  They were good for some belly laughs, whacking their ball from one sand trap to another or far into the bougainvillea!

I wanted to pay homage to Diane's son, Jordan, who cooked an "Australian" dinner for us Saturday night -- leg of lamb with potatoes and veggies, and a traditional Lamington Cake, above.  All of this was for the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix, which aired while we ate, and his fav driver won.  Sensational cake!  

The sunset!  Brilliant and stunning.  You can see rain showers over the ocean to the right and left, but -- lucky us -- no rain fell on us during our entire two weeks.

Back home today, the blazing, exotic red flower is a wide-open Tulip on our back deck!  My Forsythia is covered in cheerful yellow flowers, a real harbinger of spring.  The pink Hibiscus and the white Giant Bird of Paradise are two of Maui's best.

Last November, Jimmy and I spent two days camped at Cal-expo in Sacramento, adjacent to the American River bike trail.  On our final morning, we picked six pounds of walnuts laying on the ground alongside the trail (click here to read).  Black, hard-shelled walnuts that we stored in a bag in Jimmy's shop.  I was reminded of them a couple of days ago when I saw a squirrel scooting out of the shop with a walnut in its jaws!  Impetus to crack each one in a vice and pick out the nutmeats.  Wow, we gleaned over two cups of walnuts.

Somebody had a birthday while we were on Maui -- Everly Rose turned eight on March 15th!  We had a little birthday celebration yesterday (Sunday, the 23rd), with cake and presents.  Matt said, "smile," and so you see that silly grin!  As soon as presents were opened and cake eaten, she moved on to Easter.  But it's too early for Easter, I groaned.  Nope, I was mistaken.  She and I went to TJ Maxx, and you see Easter goodies below.

You have to agree that Jimmy and I are pretty good sports, wearing our ears with aplomb.  We had a grand time; it was a lovely warm and sunny day.  Happy birthday, sweet girl.

One more thing:  Everyone we see wants to know when our next trip is!  Gee, I wonder why?

I Left my Heart ... Nov 30th - Dec 1st

 

In San Francisco, of course!  Early Saturday morning, Nannie and I left Jimmy at home and departed for Matt's in Fair Oaks, where we'd pick up Matt and seven-year-old granddaughter, Evie, for a day trip to San Francisco.  Matt piloted the Subaru; nice to leave the driving to someone else!  Oh boy, I hadn't been to the city in a long time.  Nannie hadn't been there in many years.  We were both looking forward to our outing with these two.  Matt asked what Jimmy would do while we were away.  I said, "whatever he wants, without women around telling him what to do!" 😏  Jen had to work and would miss the fun.

Crossing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Cupid's Span in Rincon Park on the Embarcadero, a 70-ft sculpture depicting a partial bow and arrow, inspired by San Francisco's reputation as the "home port of Eros," hence the stereotypical bow and arrow of Cupid.  The Bay Bridge we crossed is visible at right.

We didn't go to Pier 39 where hundreds and hundreds of California Sea Lions haul out onto the docks daily.  They're noisy -- barking and roaring and grunting.  Smell bad, too.  No, we four hung around the Ferry Bldg (below) for a while, checked out eateries (too crowded) and did a bit of shopping.

Close to lunchtime!

Evie had fun jumping off these platforms!

Matt drove us to Chinatown, where we eventually ate a-not-too-bad lunch.  We sat at an outside table, because the inside was slap-full.  Besides, Lucy the Yorkie was with us and I don't believe she would've been welcomed inside (though we didn't ask).

Evie found a shop she wanted to visit (above) where Dad bought her a charming Tang suit outfit.  Nannie and I milled around while this was going on.

Everyone had "done" Lombard Street, but we all thrilled to drive up and down San Francisco's STEEP streets.  Matt obliged by tackling a few of these, for fun.  That's Alcatraz Island in the water.  Nannie and I were astonished to see many (a lot!) of self-driving taxi cars moving along seamlessly.  At one point we followed one, watched it avoid pedestrians, stop at a red light, and turn right, using its turn signal.  Weird:  car moving, no driver!

The day was fine, sunny and mild, albeit kind of cool.  Great day for walking.  Matt took us to a scoop shop near Hayes Valley Park, where Evie got an ice cream cone.  When she wanted to hop on something at the playground, she handed her cone to Nannie, who accidentally dropped it (red x).  Great photo op!  (a smile replaced that frown when the lady at the shop kindly replaced Evie's ice cream for free)

We made a short stop at the Palace of Fine Arts, a monumental structure, originally built for the 1915 Pan–Pacific International Exposition.  The beautiful open rotunda is enclosed by a lagoon on one side and adjoins a large, curved exhibition center on the other side, separated from the lagoon by colonnades.  Lots of people were Out and About, strolling, sitting, and enjoying this visually stunning area.

Our day ended with pizza at Berkeley's Cheese Board Pizzeria, and a Caesar salad for me.  Pretty darned good grub, and uncrowded.  Nannie and Evie pose in the pineapple suds photo frame. 

Followed by viewing holiday lights on Fourth Street in Berkeley.  Wow!

Oooh, we were tired when we returned to Matt's for our sleepover.  Thank goodness I didn't have to drive home tonight.  We had a grand San Francisco day -- thanks, Matt!  Nannie and I pointed the Subaru toward home late Sunday morning.  Jimmy was glad to see us!

Well, the rest of the week flew by, much too fast.  We hiked, enjoyed lunches with friends, and Nannie even joined us on Tuesday morning for our volunteer restocking "work" stint at IFM (Interfaith Food Ministry), something Jimmy and I do every Tuesday.

We posed in front of our Christmas tree for a together-and-cool photo before she left.  The sun was very bright.  Her flight left SMF (Smurf to us) around 12:30pm Thursday.   It was supposed to, but Delta did her wrong (because of a missing tiny red light, don't ask), and she ended up spending the night at a hotel in Atlanta, finally arriving in Baton Rouge sometime FRIDAY afternoon.  Airline travel isn't fun any more.

Miss you, my sister!  Wish we lived closer.  Really glad you had two weeks with us.  Jimmy says the house is too quiet these days!  Love you.  Come back soon.

Thanksgiving 2024

 

Weather can be like a box of chocolates, too, à la Forest Gump, when you plan a trip in advance -- you never know what you're gonna get.  In October, and hoping for the best, my sister, Nannie, and I picked November 21 thru December 5th for her two-week visit.  We watched the weather app as the date for her Thursday arrival drew near, and the news wasn't good.  Rain began falling on Wednesday, November 20th and it didn't stop till the following Tuesday afternoon!  A solid week of gray days and pouring rain!  Life can be like that.

Pretty much stuck indoors, we played cards and Scrabble, worked crossword puzzles, watched a few movies, looked at old photos, and just enjoyed each other's company.  Finally, we awoke to brilliant sun on Wednesday, the 27th ... and we couldn't wait to get outdoors.  Luckily, Nannie's second week with us was filled with sunshine.  Life can be good like this, too.

The Fair Oaks neighborhood where son, Matt, lives, is known for it's large flock of wandering turkeys.  You'd think they would hide during Thanksgiving week; nope, they were out struttin' their stuff!

 

Uh-oh, one of them made it to the grill 😁.

(kidding, this one came from a store)

Down the hill we drove on Thanksgiving morning, me and Jimmy and Nannie, to spend the day with Matt, Jen, Evie, and Jen's parents, Alice and Tom.  The day was glorious, sunny and filled with sparkling color.  Matt started cooking, while Jimmy kibitzed.  Jen wasn't home from work yet, and Alice and Tom would arrive later.  We girls went for a walk -- Nannie (with Lucy on a leash), Evie and I, admiring the trees all around us.

Especially this one!

Our Evie

Photo op, back at the ranch ...

As well as a goofy one!

Then we put down our camera and phones and enjoyed being present with our family.  Dinner was delicious:  Turkey and prime rib, mashed taters with gravy, sweet taters, scalloped taters, cranberry sauce, mac 'n cheese, and Matt's wonderful green bean casserole, every side homemade and, all of it, really good.  Plus, Nannie's yummy pecan pie.  I forgot to get a food pic, oh well.  Managed to gather us together for a family photo before we left to go home.  Above:  L-R, Alice and Tom, Nannie, Evie, Matt, me and Jimmy, and Jen.  Speaking for myself, I had a wonderful time, but I suspect everybody did.

Jimmy drove us home on this clear, star-lit night, while Nannie and I alternately dozed or eyeballed those shining stars, watching Three-in-a-Row come into and out of view.  Needless to say, we fell into our beds when we got home, totally tired, but happy and thankful.  We are soooo grateful Nannie could be here.

And, we had a plan for the coming weekend.  Oh boy!

Birthdays are Fun ... November 2024

 

Jimmy and I like to mark milestone birthdays in (perhaps) novel or unusual ways, and why not?  After all, if you make it to a certain age (think: advanced), celebrating in any way is definitely called for.  We chose not to have a party this year, like we did for our 75th birthdays (click here to review).  Nor did we ride our bikes a set amount of miles (62) in one day as we did when we turned 62.

We both have November birthdays, nine days apart, and this was a Big Number Year:  We both turned 80, which seems amazing and a number we can scarcely believe.  How did we get to be so old?  Haha, for nine days Jimmy is older than me, and I love to tease him about it.  He's a good sport, but nine days later, we unite and the kidding is no more ... till the following November!

A month before our birthdays, I saw an ad in our newspaper for Sidecar Local Tours.  I called and we set up a ride for Saturday, Nov 16th, meeting at Nevada City's Pioneer Park.  Both Jimmy and me in one sidecar, attached to a motorcycle (below)!

Woohoo -- off we'd go, I imagined, like Woodstock, scarf a-flyin', in Snoopy's sidecar.  Joyfully, the sky was clear, but Saturday's high temp was only in the mid-40's.  So, no cute whipping scarves.  Instead we wore so many layers, we resembled Michelin tire people bundled against the chill and the wind.

Brian, our own personal driver 😊, drove us around for an hour, through Nevada City's historic downtown and out to Scott's Flat Lake via the scenic back way, and we got to wave at everyone we met.  What a real kick this was!

Leaf color was still very much in evidence.

Above, at Scott's Flat Lake.

Stretching our legs at the lake.

My helmet didn't fit 😄.  Even with lap robes, I wasn't really warm.  The water level in the lake is down a lot due to a kerfluffle between PG&E and NID (Nevada Irrigation District).  Don't ask why, too complicated.

Photo op in front of a famous (and lovely) Victorian home.

On Broad Street, historic Nevada City's main street.

And, finally back to Pioneer Park, all in one piece!

Whoa, get back!  She's ready to roll, haha.  Not really, this was just another photo op.  The sidecar ride was so much fun; we'd never done anything like this before.  What's next, you wonder?  Jumping from an airplane?  Nope.  Not for us.  Too mundane - hahahahhaaaaaaa.  Anyhoot, happy birthday to us.

* * * * *

On Saturday, the 23rd (my actual birthday), son, Matt, and granddaughter, Evie, spent the day with us (Jen was working).  We had a good time, playing and eating -- enjoying pizza from the Pizza Joint.

This silly "turkey hat" made for some hilarity!

I wore the hat to the Pizza Joint, drew a few amused looks, too!

Honestly, we have so much fun, it should be outlawed.

That blue thing is a sucker, and in the other hand, seven-year-old Evie has a can of tuna.  She was playing "store."

And the whole episode evolved into gales of laughter.

Well, that's it for this year.  Thanksgiving 2024 is later than usual, and we'll be getting together with family at Matt's in Fair Oaks (CA).  And -- oh boy! -- we'll have a wonderful addition, wait till you see!  I can hardly wait to see her, myself.  to be continued ....