busy times around here

Our dining room has been the central dumping ground + major hub of creative energy  = mess, mess on top of mess. I've been avoiding this room for weeks. Today was the day, with me on coffee to boot (Art calls me Jan-squared in this state.) In the four hours I was home I was all over the place, one minute weeding the toy corner, next researching felt to make baskets, photographing the chidren's art tables, sewing kercheifs, making and installing new hangings for Eva's bedroom wall (inspired by Amanda Soule), cleaning off my desk, sewing a holder for Eli's View-master reels, gazing at the snowflake shadows that were visiblein our kitchen on our first day of sunshine, setting up a mushroom still-life with Eva's new beeswax sculpture, sweeping and all while having bursts of new ideas filling my head. It felt good. I'm a little shakey from the coffee this evening but I just love a day like this, and anyone who knows me knows I need these adrenolin rushes to keep me going.

I'm in the mood for Valentine's Day

I pulled out the box of Valentine's decorations today. I love setting up on the mantle the old Valentines cards my maternal grandmother Edna left me, she knew I was the sentimental one in the family. I could not find two post cards from my grandfather Edward Elias to my grandmother. He had to leave Maryland during the Depression and went to work in Idaho on a farm. He sent her a Valentine's card and then posted one the next day, one was not enough. I placed the beautiful cards we made at Susan and Stella's last year below on the hearth, I love seeing the new and old together. Over Christmas, there was yet another opportunity to go through the stuff at my parents house. Each time I go home, I think this it, I'm willing to part with the garage full of items that filled my home as a child. However, each time there is a new opportunity to review the items, and of course one previously overlooked will stand out. This time I could not live without an old vase that used to be stored under the counter of the laundry room where I used to hide and play. It must have come from a Valentine's bouquet sent to my parents long before I was born. It looked so inviting to me on the garage shelf, I just had to stow it in my suitcase.

Post-church stroll at LandsEnd with hot chocolate

Church had become our Sunday ritual. Having the buddy system helps, Ed (of Row, Julias, Skyla) usually texts Art either Saturday night or Sunday morning. I'm not sure what they say but I imagine something along the line of CHURCH BOUND? with us2 following. The only complaint I have is that it takes over the day with lunch out and before you know it, it's time to head home with restless children to begin our weekly prep. In December we had a great solution, riding out bikes to Boogaloos for breakfast (1 mile) before church. This Sunday we decided to go hiking at Landsend directly after church which was facilitated by the fact they provide sandwiches to honor the volunteers of the Rececession Food Pantry (Art helped out a few times.) One probem, Art did not text Team-Fraunheim before so they turned up with only church clothes. Luckily the archeological layers of coat + hats in my car were enough to go around. It was a nippy, breezy day but the hike is so beautiful you'd never know were still in San Francisco proper. Art + Ed threw a football to quicken the pace, only pauseing above surfers far below the cliffs and to gather fennel seeds to nibble.  The promise of a hot chocolate at Louis' kept the momentum forward. We were hoping for a tradition to emerge, no such luck yet but there's still plenty of time for that.

good bye christmas hello "winter"

I was not ready to say good bye to our tree before we left so I was faced with a very crispy specimen to tend with this week. Integrating the new gifts in to our 1400 sq ft apartment is also a challenge that comes post holiday/birthday. Two days later, one tree out the window/on to the curb, ornaments safely in the garage, books on the shelves, we continue our life in 2010.  I always think I'll miss the decorations but the empty spaces left behind always seem soothing to my eye. Ahh now we can think of winter theme and valentines day approaching.

friends and family in Virginia

New Year in Virginia

I got a fun fish-eye lens on clearance, it's a help since my big/wide lense was frozen last New Years. The lense helped document our whirlwind vacation in Virginia just about how I felt,a bit distorted. It was a bit surreal at times, Eva throwing-up every 40 minutes on the plane ride/car ride, being displaced out of my brother's home so he wouldn't get sick, staying in my old house that is staged for sale thinking I'd never spend another Christmas there, oh too quick family visits, sneaking in a quick glance at friends, snow/freezing weather. I loved it all. Happy New Year everyone

First Christmas Eva in San Francisco

This was our first Christmas in San Francisco as a family. After Mom + Dad moved out of their home to Summit Square, going back toVA was looking different for me but I was willing to give it a try.After our visit this past summer Eva declared when we got home that she wanted to celebrate in SF this year. I was not sure but let it sit for the fall. I'm not ready to give up winter visits so we'd go after New Years. Our house is busy, like everyone's from Halloween through the new year, adding E+E's birthdays in there has me stepping up to "create" a new vision for every occasion, yes, I know that's my own fault. I could scale it down but would that be fun? I want to provide memories of the feeling, the sounds, the homemade love, not so much the presents but the thoughtfulness of the holiday. I tried this year to keep it in check, not letting it all take over which meant a few long nights of sewing instead of dragging it on and on. Art is a trooper but I know he tires of the sound of the machine long in to the night. I also missed just sitting around the tree sipping cider. Next year.

This year we took off on the 24th  on B.A.R.T. to the Embarcadero to see the snow villages in the Hilton, see the ice skaters, shop for food at the Ferry Building Marketplace and a few bits of last minute shoppping. This was our second year at the Hilton, the lobby is so festive with the gigantic miniature village covering the same square footage of our house. The mood in the Bender family was a bit more subdubed, I wonder how long this will remain a tradition. I'm thinking we'll keep going for a few more years at least, if not to at least ride the elevator up and down to the 11th floor, I even love this.

After a quick cold picnic outside with tasty salami sandwiches, we headed past the ice skating rink to the Ferry Plaza. As we passed, a woman gave the children a candy and invited them to see Santa. They each got a card and off we went. I made a comment to Art about the sign asking for donations to have photo taken with Santa. I did not hear this but evidently Eva wanted to know what I was saying, Art told her about the man wanting money. Poor sweet Eva, she went hysterical and started saying, "I want to go home." Once in the Ferry Building, I finally got it out of her that she was embarrassed because she'd told that man pretending to be Santa what she wanted for Christmas, she was looking around the room so distrusting of the people.I was so sad for her. I hugged her over and over and told her he could have been the real santa, I was not sure and just to look around us and see all the people happy to be celebrating Christmas together. She remained in the long line with me as I got the mussles for our dinner, she finally calmed down. I was heart broken as her innocence was shattered. I'm not certain it was for keeps, she picked up later and became enthusiastic,especially after her macaroon from Miette Bakery. We got bread from Acme, 24 oysters and were ready to head home.

I'm not up to telling another key event from this day,another posting. I will share that Uncle Randy arrived from L.A. David, Naomi, Leon and Marcel came for our dinner of raw oysters with Champagne-Vinegar Mingnonette, steamed mussels with orange fennel and garlic, and two delicious varieties of ravioli (ricotta/spinach, pumpkin) from a local shop. After some stories around the Christmas tree, E + E were ready for bed after a long day, they were asleep by 7:30.

Santa finished wrapping and installing by 10:30 much to my surprise.