Celebrating a Birthday

This weekend was all about my birthday. J's parents had a lovely brunch party for me on Sunday, complete with a scrumptious cake from the French Gourmet. It had a layer of chocolate mousse and pears, and a layer of super moist vanilla cake. Yum! And Friday night J. took me to a great restaurant called Thee Bungalow, in Ocean Beach. It was divine. Excellent food, service, atmosphere, and of course wonderful company.

I have to say, when birthdays get this high on the chart, they don't quite hold that same feeling as the earlier, more significant, ones. But as they say: consider the alternative! Every phase of life has its advantages and we must find our silver lining!

The last two pictures are more snaps from the corners of J's parents' home. A collection of real and ceramic pumpkins, and an arrangement of candles on a tanzu chest. So many beautiful things, all arranged to perfection. My mother-in-law is an artist . . . and an inspiration. When I get home I start moving things around, to make our house look more like her house!

Tortoise Evacuation Center

As everyone has probably seen on the news, San Diego is burning. It's been a horrific few days as homes and lands burn, and the press reports new mandatory evacuations along with news that some can go back home, assuming it is there. You can feel the sadness in the smoky air, and everything is covered in ash.

On a lighter note, my in-laws have some friends who had to evacuate staying with them - Jack and Judy. And . . . they brought their turtles. The turtles, who have yet to be named, are two 98-year-old males. Jack and Judy inherited them from their parents, and they will have to be willed to their children because they live to be around 200! They are land turtles, Gopherus agassizii to be precise, and they are enjoying their backyard retreat while the fires near their home are being contained and the air quality improves. As I was snapping pictures (no pun intended), Rumer, the curious terrier, was getting in sufficient sniffs and kept jumping in and out of their little pen as we all yelled in unison, "Rumer! Get out of there!" Also, following are some pictures of my mother-in-law's beautiful backyard.

Octoberfest in Big Bear

So, last weekend, we made the trek to Big Bear to J's parents' cabin. The four of us also went to the Octoberfest - this year was the 15th Annual celebration. It was a fun time: lots of beer and German food and a band, Bergermeister, who also played Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama, of course. Can't you see the lighters held high now? The foliage was fiery red and gold and the air was super crisp and cool. It wasn't cold, but just right. J's Mom and I wandered through some antique stores on Saturday and I picked up a dark green Bauer planter pot. That was fun. I also got a pine scented candle called Northwoods. J and I took a hike through the woods on Friday right after we arrived with Saylor, our lab, and Rumer, his parents' Lakeland Terrier. The first picture is J setting out on the trail with dogs in tow. And here are some other visuals:

Healthy Lunch Spot: Roots in O.B.

I was in Ocean Beach last weekend, and happened upon a very cool, healthy spot to eat. It's called Roots and their tagline is kind food for kind folks. Nice. I had a veggie burrito - very tasty. I'm going to have to head over there again, if only to try their Spiced Apple Horchata. Perfect fall weather for that! How good does that sound? It's all vegetarian, but the ingredients and presentation are fantastic. Yum! Next time I go I'll take a picture and update this post.

Bears Galore!

What began as a bear hoard for my mother-in-law's collection has slowly transformed into a bit of a bear grab for moi. I went to a garage sale last Saturday at the home of an elderly woman who had passed away - her grandchildren had her collections all lined up for sale. It was sad to think that they didn't "get" what she was after with her collections, but I'm happy to think I took a few of the items to a place where they will be appreciated - my house. Most of the other shoppers were as enthralled as I was with her 1940s and 1950s ceramic items. There were lots of other things too - tons of fun stuff. So, here we have them. Bears, bears, and more bears.