Rest for the Weary

Sean, sleeping in the back of his truck, on top of fire hoses, next to a safety cone, at midnight. I think this pic speaks for itself.

Total Strangers

No, this isn't our house, but that of a total stranger.
While our town and surrounding areas were being evacuated, we rushed home from Arizona to grab a handful of things from our home that would be hard to live without. Well, let me clarify, my husband rushed into our home and rushed over to be of aid to any family members that might be in peril and throughout the next 2 nights, rushed to the aid of total strangers. Some, he met face to face, and some will never know who it was that "intruded" onto their property to fight back the raging fires. It must be a harrowing experience to return home from your evacuation to find a gate swung wide open, to find your property different than what you left it and to know that someone was there doing good and wondering what could have happened had they not stopped.
But the house above, occupied by an older husband and wife doing all they could to fight back the fire with their garden hoses, was one that my husband happened upon and was able to meet these so-called strangers. Accompanied by more strangers, met in a time of peril, these good citizens had rented a pump truck specifically to fight the fires. As you can see from the picture above with its charred hills and burnt trees, the fire would likely have overtaken the house. This is just one of the many battles fought and won.

Still Standing

Thank you to everyone for your emails, phone calls, text messages and prayers.
Fires are still burning in Southern California, but we are back in our home after 1 week. I have stories to tell, thoughts to share, pictures to post and a thankful heart for brave souls willing to risk their lives or help a neighbor whether it's their job or not.

Out of Town

We're on our way out of town. Our weekend will consist of dust, dirt and a whole lot of fun! I'll be back on Tuesday with stories to share!

Night Riding - Part 2

They say Mission Trails is a good spot for bird watching, but never did I expect one to "jump" out of the bushes and fly around erratically in front of us. This large-bat-type-thing or small bird-looking-creature (it didn't quite look like that thing pictured above, but you get the idea!) just loved being in the spotlight -literally- and made sure to stay in the bike lights so we could see it. So, in typical fashion, Sean took off after it, it veered to the sidelines, got confused once it was out of our lights and I'm pretty sure it intended to double back around and come after us - well me in particular! But since it was behind us and no longer in our lights, I guess it gave up. Whew! Just another adventure with the boys.

Can we please go home now?

When one starts out on a trail with the word, "Mount, Mountain" or any other such word denoting a large obstacle, there is only one way to go when you are at the bottom of it - UP! There were more sections that I had to push my bike up than I care to admit and a few points at which I even had to pick up my bike to carry it over the rocks, but the reward was well worth it! The downhill single track on the back side of the mountain was spectacular and I think this was the funnest ride I've ever been on! Ironically enough, it dumped us out into the "leisurly" path I had spotted the week before when I accompanied my dad golfing. So at that point, we just rode home! And now we have a new favorite ride right down the street from us!
And in case you are wondering, no, we did not ride up or down the rocks you see pictured above. This was our, "I give," turnaround point!

Star Jar

How adorable are these folded moravian stars all collected together in an antique ball jar? Each star is fabricated from 4 strips of paper, dipped in paraffin wax, and sprinkled with diamond dust glitter. Simply perfect by themselves or you could even add a small battery powered string of lights inside the jar to give the glitter some extra sparkle for an added twist. And I think they would look darling strung up on a small, white feather tree for a modern take on Christmas. And just look at how perfect the larger star ornaments look strung up outside for a special occasion! Be sure to stop by theStarcraft to view all of her collections as well as the special sale section. Thank you theStarcraft for such inspiring beauties!

Vintage Japanese Mugs

Vintage mugs, such as the ones pictured above, are popping up everywhere. Victoria just did a post on vintage mugs over at SFgirlbybaby. Practical, and pretty, I just love seeing everyone's collection mixed and matched and jumbled all together. These 2 are stamped "Japan" on the bottom and each one is available in my etsy shop.
Update-both mugs are sold!
Re-update - I have another green mug in stock!

A simple gesture

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, I am reminded how a simple gesture can brighten any loved one's day who is going through a hard time. If you know someone struggling with an illness, or could just use a little pick-me-up, I have listed a myriad of authentic vintage get well cards and cards to just simply say hello. Click here to view my store.

Night Rider

Rather than take a leisurely ride around the golf course yesterday, I got the invitation to ride with the boys on their weekly night ride around Lake Poway! As the trail wound up and down, back and forth, I felt like a little kid on Halloween running through the woods with a flashlight! Exhilarating? Yes. Cold? Yes. A little on the spooky side? Uh huh! But that's all part of the fun. Although, it's never a good feeling when I have to yell out in front of me, "Are you guys over here?" Luckily our lights are never too hard to spot on a dark night with no moon in sight-well except when my light goes out! Note to self: keep the ride under 1 hour next time! Must learn to pedal faster!
Photo courtesy of NiteRider.

Somewhere between the 2nd hole and 3rd tee

There's a golf course out here, you say? Yep, that's right, you're looking at a golf course. The outdoors, and sports, I love, but golf, not so much. My dad, however, loves it and after a quick mountain biking ride in the morning, with tense legs, I was eager to relax and accompany him in the golf cart on one of the most amazing courses in San Diego. We live a mere 5 minutes away from this course, and I never had any idea how beautiful and charming it is. The first picture is the bridge we drove over to get to the third hole. A little bit scary, but charming, at the same time. The 2nd picture is looking back toward the bridge we just drove over-this view makes the bridge a little more scary and perhaps a little less charming! The picture below is a shot of the 2nd tee. Each hole is carved beautifully right into this little canyon. I just might have to ride my bike up there today, to take a better look around!

Practice Makes Perfect

One must always be sure to practice before a very important event, and birthdays are no exception. My nephew is practicing singing, "Happy Birthday" for his own birthday. Please note the very special submarine birthday cake!

Biker Buddy in Training

Who's up next?

"New" Vintage Cards available now

"New" Old Vintage Cards now available in my etsy shop, with many more on the way over the days to come. This one is just perfect for any special occasion.
Update - this card is sold.

The things I do for my husband

Yep - that's me. No, not the one driving! More on this in the weeks to come...