Lucky, lucky, lucky!!!

God, I cannot believe how lucky I am to have ended up here in the amazing Napa Valley with a house in the country, an adequate retirement income, an amazing husband who will always be around because (in his words) "I can't wait to see what will happen next", lots of cats, roses to cut for my table, intoxicating weather, and no reason to go anywhere but here.

There is so much going on here, as well as so much beauty, that we are constantly entertained and amazed.  Just this past week, we have been to TWO outdoor theater Shakespeare venues for FREE -- Much Ado About Nothing and The Compleat Works of Shakespeare Abridged.  Very fine performances outdoors, free, and totally engaging.  What better excuse to pack a picnic and a bottle of wine and head downtown (only about two miles way) for a charmed evening?  

Shakespeare in the Park 

Calistoga Tamale Festival 

  In recent months we have been to the Skip Long and Father's Day Car Shows, a Tamale festival in Calistoga, a symphony performance of Beethoven's Ninth, a benefit documentary at the Cameo Theater, St. Helena Sidewalk sale, the Sonoma Jazz Festival with Sheryl; Crow, an Open House at Phil Glashof's sculpture studio, a performance of Hank William's Lost Highway, the Fourth of July parade in American Canyon, and these tow great Shakespeare performances.  This is not to mention our own Mexican Train Tournament party and Mary's retirement party in Sacramento.

Retirement rocks and all of the wonderful things we have been experiencing just make me SO GRATEFUL for all of the blessings in my life.

On Saturday Linda (from Kenosha) and her husband Virgil will be coming from Fremont to  join us for the final concert in the Mondavi Summer Concert series -- k d Laing and Sis Boom Bang.  We'll bring a picnic and buy some wine there, and enjoy the music.  Then on Sunday, there will be a series of "porch concerts" by local musicians in Old Town, and we will be sampling everything from bluegrass to string quartets, moving among the neighborhoods on the porches of historic houses.

What fun!!!!  

Walking

It's a pretty simple thing, walking.  You dress for the weather and make sure you have sturdy shoes, and find a scenic route, and off you go.

Walking has changed my life.  Signing up for the Susan G Komen Three Day has energized and motivated me.  I still don't know if I can ACTUALLY walk 20 miles a day for three days in a row, but I am eager to try.

And in the meantime, I have discovered a whole world of nature, perseverance, friendship, and camaraderie along the way as I train.  I have discovered new places (the River Trail in south Napa, the Skyline Ridge Trail, the short River Trail between Lincoln and Trancas, the new little park at the end of Soscol and Silverado Trail), strengthened friendships (Judy, Mary, my aunt Carol and my Curves workout buddies), music (I listen to my ipod when I walk alone) and inner resolve as I try new things -- 11 miles in Sacramento with Mary!!! Walking from the house to Redwood Road all by myself !!!   Walking to Yountville with Mary!!!!   Hiking the Skyline Ridge Trail with Judy!!!! Exploring the back roads of St Helena with Carol!!!!  Short walks around the Avenues with my husband!!!

And Saturday -- a really fun walk with my workout buddies from Curves.

Bless Brita for putting this together!  We all got together on a cool and foggy early Saturday morning.  From left to right there was Marion (with Odie, the wheaten terrier), Brita, Cindy, Clarice, Sylvia, Faith, Diane (behind Faith), Jill, Jean and Amy.

The trail along the salt marshes and edge of San Pablo Bay is really a wonderful adventure.  Along the way there was much to see.

Herons and egrets in the marshes, and the changing color and texture of the plants and water.  A view far across the water in the mist was breathtaking even on this cool and misty morning.

Everyone teased "City Girl" Faith over her apprehension about loose dogs, fear of cats, and wild things in general.  By the end of the walk, she had been dubbed "Nature Girl", a title that will probably stick!!!

We all walked at our own pace, and here are Jill and Jean, followed by Clarice, with Faith, Amy and Brita in the background.

These Century Plants along the trail were just one of the sights to see. The trail was paved, comfortable, and wide enough for all of us as well as bicycles.

Marian, Odie, and Brita followed by Faith and Amy, stroll up the trail edged by driftwood .

And what a great group!!!  Diane, Marian and Odie, Clarice, Jean and Jill look refreshed and ready to take on the world!!!

And at the end, we all had to have proof that we had actually finished!!! Cindy, Brita, Sylvia and Amy .

Since we started early (8:00 am), I began my day refreshed, energized, invigorated, and clearheaded.  It's so much fun and so good for me that when I do not walk (or do something else physical like yoga, zumba, or the Curves circuit), I feel stiff and foggy all day.  So even if all I can manage in a day is a little walk of 3 miles or less, I have come to miss it when I cannot do it.

And as a result, my body thanks me, my mind thanks me, my heart thanks me, and I am filled with gratitude and peace.   Many thanks to Sylvia for sharing the photos  so everyone can see them!!!!

4th of July

The Fourth of July definitely means that summer is here!!!!!  For twenty years now, we begin celebrating on the THIRD of July when we go "up the hill" to Ann and Ray's house, sit on the roof, and watch the fireworks below us that Silverado Country Club sets off.   Sometimes we have our root beer floats BEFORE the fireworks, and sometimes we have them after, but those root beer floats are a family tradition that we never skip.   I cannot remember a time when it was not clear enough to see the fireworks go off.  In recent years, we have watched the downtown Napa fireworks from our balcony on the Fourth, and we can see almost all of them, except for the ones that are set off below the tree line.  

Before we had the balcony, we would go back up the hill and watch from there.  You could see fireworks from all over -- American Canyon, Benicia, Vallejo, Pinole, and sometimes even Crissy Field in San Francisco on an especially clear night.  Back in the day, the rooftop would be crowded with our kids, Raymond & Sue and their kids, sometimes even Pat & Robert and their kids.  Thee days it's just me & Rod, Ann & Ray.   

This year, we brought BBQ ribs, coleslaw, corn and baked (soy) beans up the hill on the third, and played Mexican Train before it got dark, and after the fireworks were over, waiting for the traffic to clear.   Rod drove the 1934 Auburn replicar down to the house for the parade the following day. 

And, on the Fourth. as we have done for about ten years, we drove classic cars in the parade carrying various  local dignitaries in American Canyon.  Rod judges the classic vehicle entries, and I usually drive the best classic with the mayor or one of the council members.  This year, I drove the mayor (Leon Garcia) in the 1958 Impala convertible.  We decorated the car with glittery "USA"letters, American Flags on the two antennas on the back, and a big flag that the Mayor brought on the hood, along with a red white and blue bow adorned with glittery stars on the hood ornament.  

                                                           Cindy with the Impala 

Other cars were the Auburn  driven by Rod's Dad, the '56 Cadillac Convertible driven by Shuree and her boyfriend with Councilmember Joan Bennett, and the 1974 Cadillac Convertible driven by Rod -- with the parade's Grand Marshall.   

                                                     Ray Driving the Auburn 

                                                      Shuree, Todd and Joan Bennett 

                                                  Getting Ready for the Grand Marshall 

It is always blistering hot and my foot is always tingly hot by the end of the parade from keeping on the brake the whole time as we S-L-O-W-L-Y cruise the 2 mile parade route with the Mayor and his wife greeting all of their neighbors as we pass by.   We almost always pass on the festival held in the park with bounce houses, hot dogs, and local crafts.  Too hot for that!!!!!!

                                               Driving Mayor Garcia and his Wife 

At home, I marinated steaks provided by Ann, made potato salad and a cheesecake, and took my Rambler out for a cruise around the Avenues.  It is pretty easy to drive and I look forward to getting it spruced up and showing it off. 

Then the Napa City Fireworks on the balcony followed dinner of the grilled steaks, grilled squash/mushrooms/onions, potato salad and cheesecake.  More Mexican Train preceded dinner  (I won this time !). 

And I always think back to the holidays of my youth.  Which Fourth of July celebrations were the best?  The one at Simmons Beach on a blanket when I was a teenager besotted with my first love?   Or the first summer in California, when we went to the beach in Santa Cruz and watched the fireworks lying on our backs in the sand , stoned and seeing animals in the shapes of the smoke clouds?   And always the intoxicating heat of a summer night that makes you want to stay awake all night long looking at the stars, the moon, the bugs swarming around the street lights, and breathing in that sweet night air. 

Sixteen Again

July First marked the one year anniversary of both my retirement and my smoking cessation.  My how the time does fly.  Rod and I drove to Fairfield and bought me a car -- yes my own classic that ACTUALLY runs although it does need some minor work -- paint, a new top, refastening of the door panels, installation of shoulder belts.

But the coolest thing -- it is a 1961 Rambler American convertible.  This means that my mother was on the assembly line when this car was made -- and she more likely than not added something to this very car.  PLUS she had a 1961 Rambler American coupe (beige and bronze, as I recall).  And FINALLY -- my first car was a 1963 Rambler American convertible -- only difference in this one is the black interiors, the grille, and it is a standard shift, not an automatic.

My first car -- I got it when I was 16 not long after I got my license. It was brand new and I loved that car!!!  I carpooled all my girlfriends to school (Sharon Naydihor, Pat Clark, Paula Mohr, Kay Daun) and we drove it to Chicago (got lost on the south side one time and scared the wits out of ourselves) Great Lakes (oh, the sailors!!!!!!), Milwaukee (my first Chinese meal at Toy's) and everywhere.  I remember the summer after I graduated, we were tooling down Washington Road when "Satisfaction" came on the radio.  We pulled over, jumped out of the car, and all got out to dance!!!!   And of course, we drove it to the bars -- what were they thinking???  Putting the bars where you could drink beer at 18 way out in the county so that you had to drive home along those dark 2 lane roads with a good buzz on??)  We called that car "the Playmate" and I had a big red rose taped to the antennae .  When Clark gas (a subsidiary of Esso) had their "Put a Tiger in Your Tank") slogan, I had my tiger tail attached to the gas cap!!!.

We hauled bales of hay for a club fall dance, and rode around in the winter with the top down and the heater blasting away. We went to the beach (Simmons beach) and the lake (Paddock Lake) cruising on Friday night, and to Dry Dock (where I met Jerry Ochs).    And one night, when I was visiting Sharon babysitting, someone sideswiped my precious car while it was parked in front of the house.  I was devastated!!!!

I also remember one night driving to Racine at night and hitting a huge bank of snow that had drifted across the highway.  I spun around several times and as luck would have it, there was no one else on the road.  And another night driving home when I ALMOST rear ended a truck on the road that was driving with NO tail lights!!!!

And of course, everyone knows that Ramblers are the best because the seats fold down.  And even though in a convertible, they couldn't go ALL the way down, I do recall they went down far enough!!!!

But strangely enough, I don't think I have any pictures of my high school wheels and that kind of makes me sad.

I am looking forward to making more happy memories in my NEW Rambler!!

Here's a shot of   bringing her home. 

I'm naming her Marylyn, after my mother