Where in Sausalito?

Really hoping that we'll have some visitors to Sausalito sometime this year. But in the meantime, thought I'd share pictures of where we're spending our time out here.

Sausalito is just north of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge. There's a small "downtown" area with shops, galleries, restaurants, and plenty of touristy things that's right on the Bay but most of the houses are built into the side of the hills surrounding the downtown area.

The neighborhood streets are very narrow, winding, and steep and not laid out in any recognizable grid so it's interesting to wander in the neighborhood (guess I'm easily entertained these days). We always find our way back home but never quite via the direct route we thought we were on. To make the trip to town more direct, we use the many Sausalito steps that provide shortcuts from one street to the next. Many of the stairs are marked with street signs but some are not so obvious and require some hunting to find. Each set provides a different view but all get me out of breath! From what I read, they were built in the late 1800s/early 1900s. I took a couple of photos from one of the flights the last time I was out so you can see a view from the bottom looking up and the top looking down.

We are living in the top apartment of a duplex that's probably 2/3 of the way up the hill from the Bay (about a mile from the water). It's actually a 3 story building with the garage on the top floor and our apartment is in the

middle. We have 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and a combined kitchen/dining/living space. As you can see from the picture, there's a deck and glass across all of the living space which makes the apartment feel much more spacious and that provides us some incredible views of the Bay. It seems to always be changing - -boats come and go as does the fog and the wind - - so we can't imagine tiring of it. Don't you want to come and visit?

Walk in the Park

Sausalito borders the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and we've started exploring the trails that are accessible to us from our apartment. Last Sunday, Maggie and Matt came for a visit and we packed a picnic lunch and hiked with them in the area. It's a bit of a climb, but the trails are well maintained and the views on a nice day certainly make it worth the effort.

At the beginning of the hike, one sees views of the harbor at Sausalito.

In spite of the lack of rain so far this season, there are a lot of green ferns growing along the way and wildflowers can be spotted from time to time; Indian paintbrush was one that was recognizable to me.

Keep on walking and before long, the Golden Gate bridge comes into view. The sky was pretty clear this day so we had nice views of the city skyline, Alcatraz, Angel Island, and lots of boat/ship activity as well. My hiking mates obliged with me taking their picture, even though facing the other direction offered a better view.

If you look in the lower left corner of the pictures, you'll see the red roofs of some of the buildings of

Cavallo Point. What was formerly

Fort Baker has been privately developed and now houses a hotel, meeting rooms, spa, restaurant, cooking school and beautiful grounds. On New Year's Eve, we attended a cooking class - - Grant, Maggie, Matt, John, Kelly, and me - where we prepared our dinner (along with others in the class) and then enjoyed it together.

It made for a fun evening and John has shared some of his pictures from that visit here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30424388@N03/sets/72157628888386529/

6 years...really?

So it's January and as Grant says, we're in the 6th year of a 2 year adventure. This bi-coastal living pattern we find ourselves in is invigorating to us. How lucky we feel we are to have family and friends and to be able to continue to share in our kids' lives while trying to also fill our days with meaningful work and a good balance of exploring and "adventure".

In CA, we made a move further north at the end of September and now are renting half of a duplex in the hills of Sausalito. We have lots of windows and take the time to enjoy watching the Bay, both day and night.

While the hill location provides beautiful views, it also provides cycling challenges. We continue to ride our tandem several days a week, weather permitting, but Sausalito and the nearby Marin Headlands have given me a new perspective on climbing. The first time out, I was ready to unclip and walk the bike up the last hills to our apartment; but Grant cajoled and encouraged me and sure enough, I could make it to the top without quitting! Each time out has gotten a little easier and a little faster. Whether we're riding in the Headlands or alongside Richardson Bay, the views are breathtaking. I still can't say I love climbing but I do love the sense of accomplishment when our ride is done and I feel a little stronger and in better shape than the day before.

We've also done some walking/hiking in the area. There are lots of Sausalito steps to keep our heart rates up, but we have also ventured out across the Golden Gate bridge for a different perspective of the Bay. And this past weekend, we hiked from our apartment on a trail leading to the ocean. We didn't go all the way to the beach, but did get to where we had some nice views of the ocean before looping back to our starting place. And even though it's early January, we saw blooming snow drops and daffodils along the trail. This is supposed to be the rainy season in CA, but so far the days have been mostly clear and sunny so we're enjoying them while we can. As many times as we see the GG bridge, it's still a welcome site to me when it appears. If you look carefully in the picture to the right, you can see one of the stanchions peeking through the hills.

New Year's always brings a time of reflection: a look back and a look forward; east coast/west coast; goodbyes and introductions; opportunities and challenges. I can't say that one is better than the other but rather that they each seem to make the other more dear. Happy New Year to you all.

Happy New Year - 2012

Enjoying the first sunset of the New Year over the Pacific with Grant, Maggie, Matt, John, and Kelly. Ahh! Happy New Year!

A Walnut Tree Used to Grow in Farmington

It grew in the yard of the house where Grant’s Grandma Williard used to live. But we learned late last year that for a number of reasons, it was going to be coming down. Knowing that Grant has invested in trying to get our garage converted to a more proper workshop and that he gets a certain enjoyment from “piddling” with various projects, Grant’s Dad asked if we might be interested in any of the wood from the walnut tree. It didn’t take long for us to answer with a resounding “yes!”

A few months later, when the weather was right, the tree was cut down and has since been sawed into lumber. Last weekend, we rented a (bright red!) truck in order to be able to collect the wood. We drove to Winston-Salem and I went on to visit some of my family members while Grant and his Mom and Dad (and Tilley too) drove over to Farmington to the sawmill. It was described to me as located down a gravel road off of a back road off of a back road but somewhat recognizable by all of the sawed trees lining the drive along with the “carcasses” of tractors and other machinery. Not really knowing what to expect after knocking on the door, Grant and his Dad were both pleasantly surprised when an attractive young woman appeared on the porch and pointed out to them which wood was theirs. So they loaded up and made the trip back to Winston-Salem.

The fun was just beginning though. Grant had done some reading to learn a bit about what was next. We had a nice visit with Kyle and Marie and Kyle offered to lend a book on Furniture Making (he always seems to have a book for everything and what’s more amazing is that he knows where to find it!) so figuring I might need to assist, I read about the next steps on our ride back to Raleigh.

We first unloaded all the wood onto the floor of the garage. Grant measured each piece and I recorded the dimensions and then the wood was stacked according to its dimensions so that we could get a proper inventory. That was enough for one day! No project can really get off the ground without at least one trip to the local big box building supply store so we made our way after returning the rental truck. Then the real work began. Grant had, by this time, come up with his plan and I did volunteer to help in any way I could. So I got the shovel and Grant got the saws powered up. The wood needs to be stacked, higher than wide, on a level surface and supported throughout but is also “stickered” so that air can pass over all the surfaces to allow the wood to dry.

We were worn out by the time we had it all stacked, swept, and stickered, but pleased with the completion of this stage of the project. The wood will need to dry outside for about a year before moving it inside so we’ve got plenty of time to figure out what’s next. (Grant’s happy that a planer, and who knows what other tools, will be in his future!) We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the walnut will stay straight and flat.

NCSU comes to CA

NCSU's Chancellor Randy Woodson and his wife, Susan, visited CA this week to meet and greet alumni in the Bay area. The Eltings planned to attend the reception in San Francisco so Grant and I opted in for the one in San Jose. Held at the Silicon Valley Capital Club, the library room on the 17th floor offered clear views of surrounding San Jose (but unfortunately, I didn't take a picture). It was a small gathering, but the limited number of people gave us more of an opportunity to visit. After meeting the Chancellor and his wife, Grant made some new engineering acquaintances and I chatted with Susan, sharing stories of life, kids, travels, etc. It sounds as if she's very happy with the warm welcome they have received in Raleigh. Her career has been as a graphic designer and I am looking forward to checking out the Roundabout Art Collective that she and 24 other artists have recently opened on Hillsborough Street. The location was a pawn shop the last time I checked, so an art cooperative should be a huge improvement to that area across from the Bell Tower. We're heading east next week, so that's definitely on my list of places to explore.

Mt. Tamalpais - What a Ride!

A little more than a year ago, while I was on a weekend girls' trip to NY, Grant went on a rainy, windy, cold, hilly bike ride, by himself and as crazy as it sounds, he said it was beautiful! The ride is a loop from Stinson Beach up to the top of Mt. Tam and back down and when the weather cooperates, you're treated to views of the coast and the San Francisco skyline.

I'll have to admit I found myself wary, and perhaps a little frightened, of the prospect of a 30 mile ride with 3,000 feet of elevation change. The distance doesn't get me nearly as much as the climbing. As an aside, I've been reading a book entitled Younger Next Year for Women (by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge), a book with the premise that we can live strong and fit well into our 80s (and beyond) if we keep exercising. One of the authors' suggestions is that it's good to do something "scary", maybe even every day. But I find I'm more confident of my abilities when I'm on the back of a long bike with Grant as my "captain" and I can focus on putting my head down and pedalling. And so we went.

Saturday morning was a bit cloudy but turned into a beautiful day - - cool in the shade but warm in the sun. The ride was indeed a challenge, but we both felt good afterwards and could actually still walk without assistance too! We didn't hurry and so were on the bike for almost 3 hours, but took time to enjoy the views both near and afar. The wildflowers were beautiful - they always make me think fondly of Mother and my mother-in-law, Pat, who have both taught me an appreciation for them.

We re-capped the day at dinner with Matt & Maggie, and heard about their progress on the Habitat for Humanity project they're working on. And yes, we let someone else cook for all of us!

Harvest Festival

Grant and I went to the Harvest Festival this evening at Lambert Bridge Winery in Healdsburg. While the winemaker is saying this is the most challenging year she's seen in her 31 years of making wine because of this year's weather, they put on a celebration, nonetheless. The music, food, wine, made for a lovely evening, but the setting and gorgeous sunset didn't hurt. Andrea Muganini was there to work her magic with the wood-fired oven, but she's also gotten some help with other food vendors - Bellwether Farms (fresh cheeses), Fig and Bacon (bacon wrapped figs and their own charcuterie), The Oyster Girls (with oysters fresh from the Bay this morning), Dry Creek olive oils, Fries Two ways, Louisiana Gumbo and beignets, fresh tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, and breads from Cousteaux Bakery....everything delicious! With fresh juice from the just harvested grapes, we all toasted the harvest and all the work that went into it, and look forward to the wine that the grapes will become.

NC Museum of Art

Ever since we moved into our home in Raleigh back in 1988, we've had a wonderful backdoor neighbor - the NC Museum of Art. In the old days, the kids and I would wander through our woods over to the Museum property from time to time to take in a little culture. Then there were days we would go over just to pick blackberries for a homemade pie, to sample fresh honeysuckle, or maybe see the blue heron that fished at the pond. As the kids got a little older, we enjoyed the grounds for flying kites, star gazing, or visiting the NCSU horses that grazed in a nearby field. I think both kids learned to ride bikes on the gentle hills and some of our best sledding ever was from what used to be the top of the hill (where the new building is now) all the way down to the maintenance plant. Bobby (our first dog) would then pull the sled back up the hill for us. There were vigorous games of hide and seek played with friends and dog and that's where Grant and John both got so good at scrambling over walls.

The horses have moved on and the cow "field" (as Maggie used to call it before she learned the better description of pasture) now is the starting point for trails that lead through the woods, around the Museum, and even over the Beltline, all the way to Meredith College. It's very different but still so special to us. John's Eagle project is a footbridge over the creek on the path leading to the Cloud Chamber. We walk across it often and still are amazed at so many of the skills he had at only 16. Stopping on the bridge for a few minutes makes the day better somehow. And then when we come out of the woods, we see Thomas Sayre's Gyre sculpture, what we refer to more frequently as "the rings". We got to see this sculpture being poured and then literally lifted from the ground. And now we have treasured pictures of Maggie & Matt standing in front of the rings after their wedding and before they joined us at their wedding reception in the Museum.


We have so many wonderful memories tied up in this place and its setting. So it's no wonder that when in Raleigh, we frequently walk the trails there. It's good exercise, for one, and there are so many things to see along the way. This week we saw something very unexpected. Check out the picture and you'll see the box turtle has laid an egg in the hole she dug. I did a little reading when we got home and learned that it takes about 8 hours for the turtle to dig the hole and that she usually will lay 4 eggs, then cover up the hole. Turtles usually hatch in early fall and are only the size of a quarter when they leave the nest.


The NCMA recently opened a new building and will be renovating and re-opening the "old" building later in the fall. It really is a beautiful space, both inside and out; something for everybody, I think. Visiting the permanent collection and the Museum Park are free, but special exhibitions may have an admission fee. If you haven't been yet, I encourage you to visit. And while you're there, stop by and see their back door neighbor.

Full Weekend

Friday was a quiet night but a good one. When we can't bake our own pizza, Gamberdella's makes a pretty good substitute for us. This Italian restaurant is right next door so it's hard to beat the convenience off walking over and eating and still being back in plenty of time to watch Friday Night Lights!

Saturday morning, Matt & Mary came over and we loaded up the bikes and headed towards the coast for a long (for us at least) bike ride. I can't remember when I've seen the sky quite so blue and not a cloud in site as far as we could see. Oftentimes, a haze settles in over the CA coast, but there was none of that today. We did a lot of climbing (roughly 1300 ft) but it made for some great downhills too! We had done part of this loop about a year ago but weren't able to complete it last time because part of the road was blocked. But this 30 mile trip went as planned. Lots of wildflowers to see along the way and many stately redwoods as well. We stopped and had lunch at Pescadero where the country store and bakery makes sandwiches on fresh baked bread.

Then it was off towards the sheep farm and we stopped to watch the dog being trained to herd the sheep and goats. I could have stayed there for quite a while - - I mean how often do you get a chance to see that - - but since I ride the back of the tandem, I agreed to go with the group. There were two male peacocks acting very much as if they owned the roadway there, but they let us pass without spreading their long and gorgeous tailfeathers. A few more hills to climb and then the Pacific ocean came into view. It was one of those days where if I hadn't felt my heart pumping and my legs aching, I would have needed to pinch myself to be sure it was all real. Absolutely amazing.

A ride like that deserves a good dinner in our book and that means Grant agreed to grill steak for all of us. Maggie cooked polenta and a mess of greens from her box of weekly vegetables (she and Matt share in a CSA). A little wine and some engaging conversation and we called it a night as we had plans for Sunday with them as well.

Maggie and I are hosting a bridal lunch in Raleigh on July 2 and so we decided to recruit Grant and Matt as our beta testers for the menu. Sunday was to be our dry run day, so to speak. We've been bouncing ideas off of each other for a couple of weeks about the menu but based on the reaction we got from our testers, we think we hit on a pretty good combination. My guess is she'll be posting about it on her blog when the time comes. As if this wasn't enough, Maggie had tickets for a symphony concert this afternoon - - Wagner, Berg, and Beethoven and an amazing guest violinist, James Ehnes.

Like I said, a FULL weekend and boy do I feel full. Hope you all did something you enjoyed this weekend too.

Happy Birthday to me

What a wonderful day! After a nice long walk and several cups of coffee, drunk leisurely on the porch with Grant, I did a (very) little bit of work. Grant offered to take me out for lunch and then plant shopping at Logan Trading Company. They had a great selection of perennial plants - the problem is not buying more than I would have time to plant today. But I think it all worked out just right. I did some weeding yesterday so I could see just how many bare spots I had to fill in my beds - take a look at my "before" picture. Digging in the dirt is a real pleasure to me. Mother helped me with the first plantings in these beds 20+ years ago. And while I didn't have cow manure from Uncle Gene's farm to really make the dirt sweet, we've worked in enough leaves/mulch/compost over the years to make for relatively easy digging.

Working in the garden brings me close to pleasant memories of Mother and also is a way for me to be a little creative in experimenting with new plants and colors. And such a sense of satisfaction when everything is planted and the tools are put away!

I also received a new bright green pot for my herbs (to replace the concrete planter that's slowing been disintegrating). The plants need a few more days/weeks to truly be happy in their new home, but I'm confident they'll be looking better soon.

Grant took me, John, and Kelly out for dinner as a culmination to a day of special treatment. Unfortunately, pictures didn't turn out but it was a nice ending to the day. Thank you for the gifts, good wishes, and thoughts!

Thinking of Daddy

March 9, 1914 was the day that Daddy was born so he's been in my thoughts even more than usual over the past several days. He loved chocolate and he loved nuts and he loved the two combined. So today, I'm eating chocolate almonds, lovingly remembering Daddy, and smiling.

Museum, Macarons, & Montmartre

We had a full day on Sunday. It was the first Sunday of the month which means that many of the museums in Paris are free. In one sense, we thought we should visit the Louvre, to get the most value for our free admission, but neither of us was quite up for tackling it. We instead decided on the Musee d'Orsay, which would be my first visit. The museum building was formerly a train station. It seems the trains outgrew the station and so the building was repurposed several times before being converted to the museum space. The museum is currently going under another renovation so exhibits had been re-arranged and actually scaled back as a result. With the reduced gallery space, we were able to view most of the museum before becoming too tired. The building itself is a work of art in my mind. But when not staring up at the ceiling or down the long open hallways, we got up close views of many famous works by Cross, Cezanne, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Rodin, Sisley, and Pissarro. (There were obviously many more names as well, but these are the ones I'm able to recount.) It was a very nice visit and satisfied our need for a museum fix.


We walked back along the Seine towards the apartment but took a path which led us to Rue Bonaparte and the shops of Laduree and Pierre Herme. I was still on a quest for macarons and from what I've been reading, these are the leading contenders for best in show. Grant agreed to help me conduct a taste test and patiently waited while I purchased four flavors at each store: chocolate (of course!), vanilla, caramel, and rose. Based on my shop experience and the packaging provided, Pierre Herme had the lead. But tasting was still to be done. Macarons are not my favorite, but in the interest of "when in Rome..." I felt like I needed to experience this delicacy. So taste we did. The result...except for the caramel ones, they all tasted pretty much the same - - and really sweet - - and we determined we wouldn't be able to determine which came from which store without someone telling us. So I'll bring some macarons home to those who have requested, but you won't find me fighting you for them.

So after those sweets (and we did have some lunch in there as well) we had energy for one more tourist stop in Paris. And we selected Montmartre and Sacré Cœur basilica. We had seen the Sacré Cœur from the Pompidou Center on our last visit to Paris, and it was suggested to us that we should travel there so we could see the views of Paris from its place on the hill. After the metro ride, we made our way through the crowds and the carnival atmosphere, and began the climb (I think I read there are 234 steps) to the top. We were hoping to have a pretty sunset, but the sky was too hazy for that. We struggled to take our own picture with Paris in the background, and eventually a nice couple offered to take a photo for us. We spoke briefly and learned that they, too, split their time between two locations (Paris and London) with a child in either place. Small world again...

Family reminders

On several occasions, I've walked to the metro station with Grant on his way to or from work. While family is many, many miles away, these reminders make me think it's still a small world in some ways.

Brussels

Grant took the day off on Friday and we decided to head to Brussels for a night. The train ride is less than an hour and a half, and with a little investigation I found we had enough Marriott reward points to stay in central Brussels for a night for free, so why not? While I stood in the long line for tickets, (only 1 person working the counter because it was during the 2 hour "lunchtime"), Grant wandered the platforms and was able to confirm that we could buy a ticket on the train, so off we went.

Comfortably situated, we watched as the scenery whizzed by. It doesn't feel so fast, but Grant convinced me otherwise when he pointed out that the cars and trucks we were passing as if they were standing still were likely going about 70 miles an hour - - it's wonderful being married to an engineer to give me these perspectives. (Wikipedia reports that the record speed for the TGV is 357 mph! but the average is more like 170 mph.)

Once checked in, we did what it seems we're becoming experts at doing in Europe - wandered. We stopped at The Grand Place (Grote Markt) for some lunch and of course, beers. The Leffes were good, but I especially liked the taste of the lemony Hoegarten. While we didn't go in any of the buildings surrounding the square (other than lunch at the Baker's House), we read that they were the town hall and King's house but now museums. They were very decorative and appeared well-kept (see detail of goose over doorway).

Our wanderings led us by markets, souvenir shops, and even a showroom for what appeared to be concrete bathroom fixtures (they weren't open). I was on a mission to pick up some Belgian chocolates and Grant was very patient and accomodating as I made my selections, not an easy task with so many choices.

We also felt obliged to pay a visit to the famous/infamous Mannekin Pis (no, that's not a hose he's holding in his hands). The streets were busy with several parades/demonstrations going on and we tried to stay out of their way. For an unplanned whirlwind tour, we considered the overnight trip a success.

Still walking

While I typically start out my mostly daily walks with a destination in mind, I often end up taking a less direct route on the way back. Most recently, I was on a mission to scout out the Maille mustard store and also the main location of Laduree, famous for its macarons, and perhaps locate a chocolate or patisserie along the way. I ended up taking the direct metro route to Madeleine and was amazed, when I climbed back up into the sunshine, at what was a completely new area of the city to me.



I found Maille (and bought several clay jars of mustard) and then began walking down Rue Royale. Again, my leisurely schedule allowed me to notice doorways, archways, and alleyways whose details and design are so pretty to me. Almost before I knew it, I was back in a familiar place - the Place de la Concorde. One of my favorite family photos was taken here (including Pat and Grandpa) at the obelisk back in 1995. Who knew what all lies beyond the Place?!? There just seems to be no end to what there is to explore here.




By the way, I did locate Laduree but I couldn't even get in the door! And I wasn't wanting to sit down in the salon, but rather simply wanting to stop in the shop. Macaron shopping will have to wait for another day.



The Luxembourg Gardens are really close to the neighborhood where we're staying and they are described as one of the most lovely in Paris. I've walked by the greenhouses on the outer edges and it does look as if the gardens will indeed be beautiful once the weather gets warm enough that flowers can be moved from the greenhouses to the outside beds. But today as I walked by, there was a visible sign that spring is creeping in: a bed of crocus! It makes me miss the crocus and daffodils that I imagine are blooming in our yard in Raleigh, but nevertheless, a welcome sign.