oh me oh my cherry pie

We made it! We're officially California residents! We didn't spontaneously combust! This was a real fear of mine... spontaneous combustion. It was as smooth as a 36 hour trip could be. We rested, we ate, we drove.... lord, we drove, and we were near tears when we pulled into our little driveway, ever so thankful we had arrived in one piece... mentally and physically. There were no *real* emotional explosions, unless you count that time at 4 am when we had to stop and sleep (there were sleep-deprived hallucinations going on... stopping was essential) and it became apparent I had forgotten the lock for the U-Haul.... ooops. Yea, not pretty, but sometimes I think if you want something done (like remembering to grab the lock off the fence), do it yourself. Due to my occasional lack of short term memory, sleeping in the cars became the only option "so people didn't steal our stuff!" I was so tired I could have slept on a rock, so curling up with a pillow and a cat in the driver's seat seemed like heaven. Ah, its amazing what sleep does for the mood. Westward we journeyed....

This is week two and I feel our period of adjustment is going pretty well. At least with this move, we are both adjusting at the same time as opposed to the Kansas move when Drew had at least four more months to adjust than I did. I'm really happy.... I think we've finally found a place that speaks to our souls and helps us recognize and celebrate our existence a lot more than our two previous locations. We can walk to LOTS of places.... favorites include: Zanotto's Family Market (a bit overpriced, but a fantastic meat counter), Bill's Restaurant with their $5 bloody marys and "hella good" breakfasts (everyone says "hella"... I'm kind of over it already), a great Mexican restaurant called Dia de Pesca (day of fishing?) that serves probably the most divine fish tacos you could ever imagine, the library, and the Rose Garden. Oh, that pretty, sweet, sunny, happy Rose Garden. See this link for a great photo of our sensory experience: roses

Beautiful place and we'll be going there when you come visit. We'll also be going to Brian and Mary's farm!! They're co-managing a little place up in the mountains roughly 30 miles or so, but takes about an hour (don't gorget your dramamine!) Its like a dream being up there.... the mountains, the redwoods, the pond, the land, the veggies! Sunday for Memorial Day, Drew and I went up there to visit with the cousins and Uncle Bruce and Aunt  Linda. We had a great time drinking, eating, and talking. I mean, what more could you ask for? Tuesday I went up there again and helped transplant some cucumbers, tomatoes, and chard. I, however, did *not* take care of my body and now have the worst sunburn of my life, but maybe I've always been more fond of learning lessons the hard way. I will never forget sunscreen again. Luckily, we have an enormous aloe plant right outside our door. I'd really like to go up a few times a week and help plant/harvest/care for the farm with Brian and Mary. Hopefully this is doable and will go well! Maybe I'll do this for the summer and then join the Silicon Valley HealthCorps (an AmeriCorps position) and teach school kids about urban gardening, where their food comes from, how it grows, and how important it is to eat healthy! This is my dream plan, subject to change. 

So, don't you want to see some cute pictures of our house? Well, I'll just tease you with a few:

The kitchen is lovely and sunny. Its warm and inviting. Our neighbors have a great orange tree in their backyard. I'm coming up with good schemes to pick their oranges. The fruit really just drops off the trees out here. Its pretty easy to imagine how the local food scene originated out here. Everything is so abundant and half the US's fruits and veggies are grown here! 

These are the hops we're growing (I say "we" but really I mean our roommate Ryan) so that we (Ryan) can brew our (his) own beer! We've got a little, tiny, veggie garden area tilled up as well. I hope our tomatoes and peppers will make it. They travelled well in the trunk of my car, so hopefully with some more sun and water they'll pull through and be fruitful little mamas. 

This is our courtyard we share with the brothers who live behind us. Its cute and has lots of potential. Sam, our other roommate, and I are envisioning little lanterns, another table, and a cute seating design. Hahahaha she is a landscape architect and I moonlight as a "wanna be" outdoor space designer. 

This is our little room between the kitchen and living room (think of our house as a rectangle... its a lot longer than it is wide). We've put the record player, a wicker rocking chair, maps, and a table in there. Its quite cozy and our little liquor/wine cabinet in the corner makes me feel like I've stepped back in time when I pass through that room. Maybe its just the wood paneling on the walls, though. 

Our living room! Wonderful, homey space. It gets decent natural light and is a really perfect spot for relaxing. Below is our working fireplace and shelves.... lots and lots of shelves which are perfect for our book collections!

So far the house is everything we want it to be. Living with Sam and Ryan (another couple who we knew from GA) seems to be going alright. We're figuring out how to mesh our living styles (not hard), cooking dinner together most nights, and enjoying the companionship of another couple who seem to be on the same page as Drew and me. Hopefully things continue to go well as we grow and learn together.