Out and about here and there

Who knew that buying floor mats for a Jeep Patriot could be such a hassle?  To the left is Kris' "new" Jeep, a 2009 Patriot Limited.  We went to Auto Zone, selected the mats and were in and out in less than ten minutes.  Twenty minutes later we were still trying to get them to fit in satisfactorily.  Several cuts to the sides later, they fit.  Mission accomplished and off we go.

Yesterday I discovered a new shop downtown call 

 "Emporium". I have a table I want to paint with chalk paint and I discovered her store and found some goodies.  Not only was Dana very nice but her mom was in the shop too, busily at work waxing a red chalk painted chair.  Here's Dana, my friend Marie, and Dana's mom.

The other nice discovery (my hubby would disagree) was the surprisingly good prices they had attached to many of their already painted pieces they had for sale.  Case in point - the pretty little table below with a real marble top.  Price - $20.00  I brought it home with me.  I don't know if Don has spotted it yet.  I've sort of disguised it.  HeeHee.


Earlier, brother David called at 7 a.m.  I was still non-functional but a strong brew at Starbucks solved the problem.  Also, anytime I have a chance for backroading and enjoying fog, well, I wake up really fast.  The photo ops are endless.


The rider was just a speck, a dim light in the distance,  when I first spotted him coming.   Lucky me - I got him just right as he sped by quiet as a cat in the fog.

We drove on and found a low rider (my word) windmill

Yet another roadside shrine  

a gang graffiti covered abandoned building in Ballico 

(a little dot on the map unincorporated town), 

An almond orchard bedded down with hay and ready for spring

Eerie moments of light as the world awakens

 And finally a blinking red light at a stop sign posted at just the right intersection leading us from somewhere to elsewhere, showing us the way home.

Over a Bridge, Through a Gate, and a Smile

Stafford Bridge turned 100 years old this year.  It was a quiet passage celebrated with an abundance of graffiti embellishments and a low flowing river beneath.  But as David and I walked across her solid path, I was struck by the echo of present and past.

The river, today, is at a mid to low level.  Last year, during our very wet winter and then the snow-melt of spring, it was much higher.  Winter was so mild this year, it seemed to pass almost unnoticed.

There was a time, a few years ago, when the river overflowed its banks and surrounded these trees and shrubs.  There aren't any houses nearby, just range land and cattle.

A series of gates invited us to walk further onto the surrounding fields.  First one gated fence,

Then another, and finally

The inner-most gate blocking the way to the river's edge.

Later we drove off and eventually came to one of the many roadside crosses that dot the area.  Most are from auto accidents but this one, I think, was related to the irrigation canal.  In summer and fall, in the height of the heat, these canals are an irresistible lure for cooling off.  Sadly, the consequences occasionally ended with the appearance of a cross marking a passage from life into death.

It isn't all unhappy and pensive though.  This friendly farmer was more then willing to share a smile with us as we started to drive away.

Today feels like just one big HUG - A Postcard from Paradise

Ever had a day

when you feel you are hugged

and the day still young?

Have you ever had a day when you feel like you are being hugged and the hugs just keep on coming?  That is my day today.  It's 3:08 p.m. and much of the afternoon is still ahead of me.  I'm not greedy though.  If it all ends now, I will have the memory of a morning full of hugs and a bounty of goodness to share here with you.

This morning Facebook announced via Turlock City News  of a new Dollar Store opening on the east side of town.  I love this part of town.  It's just east of one of the high schools and is like a little neighborhood.  So, my friend Marie and I hurried over and fell in love.  Small. Tidy. Well organized. Friendly staff.  I took several photos as a visual reminder of why I need to get over there and enjoy this place for basic essentials and surprises.

After leaving Dollar Store, Marie and I stopped in at Lulu's. I've been hearing about this place for five weeks now, ever since starting my Conversational Spanish class. The teacher and several of the students hang out over there so with my Starbucks finished, and the Dollar Store behind us, it was time to discover if this place really DID have a reputation to live up to. All I can say is - YES!! The patty melt and fries weren't greasy and the decor was fun and colorful. The place felt totally inviting and definitely rates a return visit.

This says exactly how I am feeling today. 

 Even the ceiling was fun to lean back and enjoy.

The tables were pretty pastels and roomy and the booth tables were movable so people of different sizes could adjust the table to their comfort levels. 

 And what would a good soda and ice cream shop be without a selection of old fashion candy?

And so ended my morning, or so I thought.  The mail came and went and I was tucking in with a copy of Shashi Tharoor's "Bookless in Baghdad" (one of my Dollar Store treasures).  Don must have heard something or someone at the front door because the next thing I knew, he was handing me a package over my shoulder.  From AUSTRALIA??!!

So, with restrained excitement and a huge dollop of curiosity, I carefully opened the package and recorded all of its unfolding drama.

First to emerge was a lovely note from Lee-Ann Hamilton.  Lee-Ann and I met in a chocolate swap back in the early days of my blogging (sometime late in 2006) and we have been fast blogging friends ever since.

Next to emerge was a long  and narrow box all wrapped up in pretty in pink tissue paper.  A snip here and a snip there to gently remove the tape securing the ribbon and what should appear but . . .

 . . . a pretty little bookmark - a soft pink ribbon adorned with shiny little buckle and pearl encrusted gold cross.  I caught my breath.  I actually could not breathe for a moment.

I now have it hard at work folded into the pages of Bookless in Baghdad.  It is such a feminine bookmark to hold the place of the musings of Tharoor but somehow very appropriate.  Just as the cross is a holy and sacred thing to me, so are books and the value they hold for us.  Thank you Lee-Ann.  Your discerning eye at the thrift store in Australia has made this California girl very happy and feeling very hugged at the end of a very huggable day.

For more Postcards from Paradise, please click HERE.