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!!!!