Busy

I haven't had a moment since our lovely, long weekend to post really. Work is busy, busy, busy and we are experiencing some serious internet problems at home. I am talking to you Time Warner Cable, what's your damage? Last night I spent a total of two hours on hold and was disconnected "accidentally" four different times. I was told a supervisor would call me back. That didn't happen and our interenet still doesn't work. Ultimately I just gave up and attempted to watch the Lindsay Lohan movie about Elizabeth Taylor. That didn't make me feel any better people. We had a wonderful weekend filled with food, friends and even the odd home project around the house. More on that later but here are a few photos of Hank riding a horse again over the weekend. I still can't believe he doesn't hold on.

 And here is a lovely shot from Isabel Marant's instagram that I found inspiring. How gorgeous is Arizona Muse:

Thanksgiving

Found here

Thanksgiving is upon us again. How did that happen? Last year we had a cozy dinner at home with family and friends. My good friend Katie's kids even did a post-dinner puppet show out of a home made theater made of cardboard boxes. This year we are heading to a friend's house. I am excited to sit back and let someone else deal with the turkey. It's a potlock of sorts and most of my favorite dishes had already been claimed by other folks attending so I am going out on a limb and cooking two dishes I've never made before - sauteed winter greens with mushrooms and a butternut squash dish. Wish me luck. I hope everyone has a wonderful holidays surrounded by loved ones.

found here

The Weekend

Checking out the Zoo 

I have a new appreciation for single parents. Mike had to go out of town this weekend so I didn't get to have that hour here or there to myself that I realize now I really cherish, and need. Also our power went out for a while Friday night which was a bit scarier when you are solo parenting. Note to self, perhaps it's time to purchase more candles and disaster supplies when you find yourself burning that fancy diptyque one you love. Don't get me wrong Hank and I  had a lot of fun. We road the train at Griffith Park on Friday, went to the zoo on Saturday and visited LACMA with a dear friend on Sunday. Perhaps it was a bit harder than normal because Hank is fighting a bad cold. He is a bit fussier then usual. We had a great time but it was so fantastic to have my husband home late last night.

Bubbles at the Americana 

Swinging at our local park 

Checking out the flowers on our street post-storm

Growth

Last night I documented some growth that's happening around here. Recently Hank has started "reading" books to us. It's just about the best thing ever. He has managed to recall most of the words in his favorite books and enjoys reading them to us. The best part is the enthusiasm he has when reading. He gets really into it.  His favorite book is still "The Little Engine That Could," and hearing him cry out when the train reaches the top of the mountain is pretty darn cute.

The other noticeable growth is happening in our backyard. We planted these vines several months ago in the hopes that they would eventually cover the top of the pergola over our deck. Well let me tell you these vines have taken their sweet time and have gotten a bit confused about the direction they are supposed to be going. I guess I hadn't taken a good look in a bit since things have finally cooled off out here, and we haven't been spending as much time in our backyard. Last night I went outside to check it out and was stunned by how much everything has grown. It was really amazing. They are finally going in the right direction.

España

Lately I have been seeing non-stop evidence on Facebook and blogs of friends and acquaintances who jump on a plane to exotic locales with their kids in tow. When Mike and I first got together we traveled overseas a bunch - Argentina, our incredible honeymoon in Mauritius and South Africa and our lovely visit to Spain. It's so hard to imagine making this work with your kids. Part of me thinks there is something incredibly romantic about creating the kind of family where jaunting overseas is no big thing and your children grow up with an incredible dose of culture, but the other part of me thinks there is a reason I didn't get to go overseas until I was a teenager and perhaps it would be more romantic to go on a trip like this just me and my husband. Either way I am still impressed with people who can pull off taking their kids on ten-hour flights and bringing their little ones to Bali or Rome. With no big travel plans on the horizon, but lots of dream-itineraries in my head I will have to content myself with pictures from past journeys. Today I was revisiting our trip to Spain in  2008. We flew to Malaga and spent a couple days here and then headed to Seville (which is just beautiful) and then visited Madrid and ended our trip in Barcelona where my sister was studying at the time. We had such a wonderful time exploring Spain. This was our first big trip together and I learned what a wonderful travelling companion my husband it, and that he has nerves of steel. When our car stalled on a busy, massive rotary in the middle of downtown Malaga I crumbled into a heap of panic but he just endured and even drove through the narrow streets of Madrid.

Flackers

I am by no means affiliated with flackers. They do not sponsor my blog. They are simply a delicious, gluten-free cracker that happens to be raw that I happen to have fallen in love with....seriously! I think these things are so good and intense and so much better than a regular, old baked cracker. They are highly addictive. 

I happened upon a box a week or so ago and have since bought three more boxes. Perhaps the health benefits are lost a bit if you binge eat them all weekend long? The jury is still out but I just had to share my love here.

Local Spot

There is something so wonderful about having a local restaurant that you can spontaneously drop into and count on the food being delicious, the cocktails being stiff, and the atmosphere convivial. We live within walking distance to lots of restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries but none somehow quite fit the bill. Some are a bit too trendy and therefor virtually impossible to just drop in, and others while delicious and lovely don't quite capture the celebratory vibe I am sometimes seeking. Thank goodness Mess Hall  has entered the local Atwater/Los Feliz dining scene. Any place with oysters and delicious cocktails is OK in my book and if we go a bit early nobody blinks at Hank and his dinner shenanigans. Also I have to confess I am a sucker for any place that has an outdoor fire feature that allows me to sit outside in the dead of winter. If you live on the East side of Los Angeles I encourage you to check out this place.