Green Sticks Ranch, California (AKA Rancho Palos Verdes)

April showers typically bring May flowers, but this year even my May started out in a downpour! Feeling overly stressed with work projects, church assignments, personal matters, and apartment and roommate hunting, I found myself clinging to the thread shards on the end of my rope. I felt so overwhelmed that like a light bulb, I knew I would either burn out, or shatter (more like explode!) in a million pieces .

One late evening at work, as I sat with my head on my desk, trying to gather the energy to make one last round on my patients, I looked at my office mate and said, "It's official. I'm running away." She somehow knew I wasn't kidding, and scooted her chair over as I Googled vacation packages to Thailand and Tierra de Fuego. Together we priced tickets to destinations all around the world, trying to find me an escape route to Anywhere, Planet Earth.

In the midst of my determined spontaneity (is that possible?), I remembered my Uncle Doug in California, who had invited me several times to his home in Rancho Palos Verdes. With my jaw set towards the West and my time off request in hand, I figured it was about time I took him up on his offer! One week later, I was squishing sand between my toes at Redondo Beach, soaking up sunshine in my Uncle Doug and Aunt Rosie's magnificent backyard garden, and playing hide and seek with my cousins after a boat ride and day at the pier. It was the perfect, peaceful weekend away that I needed, and I came home feeling so refreshed and ready to face life again. Turns out, May did bring her flowers after all...

The view on the drive to my Uncle's house. Love the palm trees!

The cliffs at Palos Verdes Estate.

My uncle's backyard where I spent the majority of my time reading and getting sun.

The sail on our boat, on our spontaneous boat tour off Ports o'Call in San Pedro.

A baby seal we spotted

My Uncle Doug and Aunt Rosie

Me, in front of one of the cargo ships. Those things are HUGE!

My cousin Andrew checking out a lone sailboat on the Redondo Beach pier.

This cute band, playing right on the water's edge, added the perfect soundtrack to my day.

Some really large birds we spotted on the pier.

Random kids playing soccer on Redondo beach.

My cousin Andrew wrote my name in the sand, to prove I was really there!

How to make something...out of nothing

My friend Bridgid injured her foot a while back and called me tonight for a ride home from work, as she can't drive. We both had to be at the same place at 7pm, so we stopped at my apartment to grab a bite to eat on the way. Only when we walked in did I remember I'm in the process of moving, and don't have any furniture, hardly any utensils, only one pan, and basically no food. Obviously, being a hostess is not my day job! So, I offered Bridgid the only seat in the house - my exercise ball - (at least somebody's getting use out of that thing!) and proceeded to cook her a spontaneous meal with any ingredients I could dig up. Let's just say I am well on my way to being America's Next Top Chef (or, maybe Bridgid is just a wee bit too nice), but she actually asked for seconds of my sauteed Broccoli/Asparagus/Snap pea/almond/black bean concoction, topped off with Braag's Liquid Aminos (a product just as tasty as soy sauce with a fraction of the sodium, which I feel everyone should embrace).

Anyway, here is a picture, snapped on my cell phone, of Bridgid balancing on my exersize ball in the corner, eating my yummy masterpiece - with a spoon. (Just so you know, I did offer her the one fork in the house, but she apparently thought taking on broccoli with a spoon would make her cool..)


Bridgid, anyone who can give me a memory like this one is autimatically cool, spoon or not!