You and your great grandmother share a love for the ocean. Before we left for the beach, the two of you poured over her beautiful book of underwater photographs.
Read MoreTrip to Schoolhouse Beach
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my grandmother
Making Holiday Memories
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I’m trying to photograph these two together every chance I get. Here are photos from last years’ Thanksgiving, and Ella’s first Christmas.
Read Moretwenty
All of your dolls and stuffed animals are currently wearing diaper covers and you ask us to change them frequently. And even though you spend a lot of time on your little potty, you have yet to use it for its intended purpose. The last couple nights it has been in the bath with you.
Read MoreThanksgiving at Marina's
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I finally caught up on client edits for the first time since August, and I didn’t want these gems to get lost in the ether. Marina hosted us for turkey-day and cooked up a feast. Turkey and stuffing and gravy and three types of pies, cranberry, mashed potatoes, cookies and homemade crackers and cheese—and crab! The crab was so good that we bought more the next day. These two ladies are the cutest together.
Read Moremarina's visit
I want to remember this time, when you were almost walking. When your absolute favorite thing to do was help daddy water the apple trees. When your great grandma and I took you to lunch at the Lao restaurant and you made us laugh the entire time. When you ate everything we offered you like a little bird. When you started dancing every time music played. When you explored the contents of my purse for over an hour. When you brought our family unmeasurable joy.
Read MoreElla's First Christmas
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It's even better than I imagined it could be.
Read MoreA Birthday on Tomales Bay
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Last weekend we joined Marina at the Inn on Tomales Bay in Marshall for her birthday, celebrating with too many oysters Rockefeller and games of Scrabble (is there such a thing?), cappuccino It's-its, daffodils, leisurely breakfasts and dinners, long walks, and new friends. That woman sure knows how to live. I took some impromptu birthday portraits on Sunday and I'm so glad I did. Happy birthday darling, I love you!
Quality Time with the Sea Dutchess
In mid-February I drove out to the Point Reyes National Seashore to meet Marina and company and see the daffodils in bloom. It has become a yearly tradition. (See last year's trip here.)
She is adorable. There were more in bloom than last year, although I think the word is getting out (and writing this probably doesn't help), because while we were there, multiple parties came and picked bucketfuls.
Afterwards, we went for a walk on Limantour Beach, where the tide was very low.
At the end of February, Marina turned 77, and Jeffery and I took her to Schoolhouse Beach on the Sonoma coast for a gluttonous picnic lunch (crab cakes, champagne, pesto lasagna, pear frangipane tart, and chocolate!). We were treated to thunderheads all day. It was a beautiful drive through the country, all the animal babies were out and frollicking and it didn't rain on us until we had had our fill.
Afterwards we got cocktails at the Valley Ford Hotel. It was a perfect day. Feeling thankful for time with my grandmother and beautiful spring days. Now we need some rain!
Last Weekend on Tomales Bay
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Saturday
Last weekend Jeffery and I drove up to Marshall, where Marina was conveniently house-sitting the Inn on Tomales Bay. We took a lot of walks, explored the coast, and ate incredibly well. It was the perfect reset after two long work weeks since returning from the Big Island.
Tomales Bay from Clark Road, the Strauss Family Farm below.
We enjoyed a late lunch of Oysters Rockefeller and tri-tip sandwiches as the Marshall Store (highly recommended).
Evening walk on Dillon Beach
Elephant Rock
Sunday
Breakfast of smoked salmon Eggs Benedict, sautéed mushrooms, and mimosas.
Salad Niçoise and Scrabble for lunch
Point Reyes National Seashore
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Before we left for the Big Island, Marina and I spent a drizzly afternoon exploring the Point Reyes National Seashore. She led me over a creek and through the woods to an old overgrown and abandoned daffodil farm that was just beginning to bloom.
When we parked I was a little skeptical, it just looked like a marsh and some woods and a hill with no trail. But she knew where she was going. Pretty magical place. I have been wanting to go for years, but the daffodils are only in bloom the first couple weeks of February. Afterwards we took a walk on Limantour Beach, another place I had never been.
Feeling fortunate that I have such an incredible grandmother, and that I get to accompany her on adventures.