Kilcoe Castle in Ireland was restored by the British actor Jeremy Irons. It certainly has spacious great rooms but I am loving the cozy living spaces most of all.
magnolia season
For ten years I have been enamored with the magnolia trees in my neighborhood. Here are a few of my favorites. ❤️
new year update
We are already into the second month of the year and I have not yet updated this journal. It had a slow beginning but has been interesting and lively overall.
When we returned from our trip it then rained for three weeks. Emma and I slept in every day and read a lot. It was a perfect transition to the new year. We were disappointed when plans were rescheduled but thankfully the rain finally stopped.
We attended three birthday parties and visited three beautiful green spaces; Joaquin Miller park, Tilden garden and the UC Berkeley gardens. Emma began her winter class session and joined Welcome to Wildlife at Peralta Hacienda. There are so many neat field trips planned for the future. I am looking forward to them.
The last two weeks Emma and I have taken turns having colds. We tested for covid and they were always negative. Having a cold for a week still sucks though. Looking forward to my future congestion free life.
In the past month I accidentally smashed my Kindle by dropping it and received a new to me radio (thanks Gene!). We love having the radio and switch between the jazz and classical stations. Its super fun.
book list 2022
read with Emma:
Little Princess
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Blue Willow
By The Great Horn Spoon
The Ballad of Lucy Whipple
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Totto Chan, the Little Girl at the Window
The Birchbark House
The Game of Silence
read alone:
Crying in H Mart
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
1/2 Great Expectations
Collective Wisdom
The Hours
The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Nora Roberts (double book)
The Little Book of Hygge
Braiding Sweetgrass
Kitchen Witch
Raising Good Humans
Little Beach Street Bakery
We All Want Impossible Things
This year I was sick for half of it but couldn’t really read. I kept up reading to Emma of course but alone I could give in to sleep. Also this was the year I discovered the magic of vacation reads. I would grab a book off the shelf of the many bookcases at my Dad’s senior apartment. Then I would retreat to the bedroom and read for a spell. In September I had use of the air conditioner, in December soft blankets. Emma is old enough for me to check out and would watch movies with Grandpa and not interrupt me. That was the best.
holiday trip to L.A.
Emma and I flew to Los Angeles and stayed with my Dad.
We visited Knott’s Berry Farm and it was really pretty all decorated.
We celebrated my neices Claire and Hallie’s birthday and met Hallie’s new baby.
We met my sister’s new pet, a young Saint Bernard and went out to dinner.
We went to the beach and the pier and watched the waves.
On Christmas Eve my Dad asked to take a selfie (!) before we went to the big party at my sister’s house.
On Christmas day we ate delicious cinnamon rolls, opened presents and had the best dinner.
We went to the airport that night and sat at the gate until our flight was cancelled at 1 am. Then we collected our luggage and took a taxi to my brother’s house. We were so tired and disappointed we were not home with maiki like we planned. The next day maiki drove to L.A. to come and pick us up!
It pretty much rained all day so we did not stop as much to adventure. We were so happy to be home again at the end of our trip.
