Violet's Birthday

We started Violet's birthday celebrations on Saturday, with a trip to Ojai, just the three of us. Cora had two shows, so she couldn't come with us. 

Violet found a lovely nature walk with great views. As you can see, it was a cooler, cloudy day with the threat of rain. 

After our hike, we walked the main street, and then drove to Boccali's, the Italian restaurant Violet picked. 

We shared bruschetta, an antipasto salad and eggplant lasagna. All was delicious.

We then started for home, but stopped in Santa Paula at a New Orleans cafe I've heard about called Rabalais. We had their specialty for dessert - beignets, with a latte. Ohhhh, yes please! 

Violet's actual 16th birthday was Monday, a school day. We stopped by her favorite nearby nature walk after school. 

She then went with Cora to West Ranch to work as a stage hand while Cora was stage managing Mean Girls during the start of their tech week(s). That meant for a late birthday dinner. Violet chose Bonchon, the Korean place in Stevenson Ranch. 

After dinner, we had their doughnuts for dessert.

Because Violet's upcoming Alaska trip is her big 16th birthday gift, we gave her a map of Alaska to study and admire.

Cora gave Vi some CDs from a band called The Arcadian Wild, and sweet treats.

We enjoyed being out together, celebrating with our favorite artist-animal loving-nature girl!

Once Upon a Mattress

Cora played Lady Merrill in her college production of Once Upon a Mattress, a musical take on the Princess and the Pea fairy tale.

She's front right in this photo. 

And she's in the center front, here. 

It was entertaining, with great singing. We could hear Cora in many places! A family-friendly musical, Ellie especially enjoyed watching it.

 

For the Friday night show, Violet's friend Sofia came with us, and Lucas and Mackenzie came as well.

These forever fans also came - Mrs. Hawthorne, Jen and Sue! Auntie Mel, Ellie and Grandma also were there. And on Saturday, Christina and her girls attended.

And this was from Opening Night.

Cats and Coffee (a few of my favorite things)

Sure, they can share the bed, with the fresh warm towels from the dryer between them!

The big guy didn't wake me up until almost 7 on Monday. That felt like a miracle. And yes, I totally feel like I have a newborn (human) again, with trying to make sure he eats enough, late enough at night, to not wake me too often in the night. 

This doesn't look comfortable, Eve.

This week, Cora had her tech week for her college musical. She also worked a bit at West Ranch for their upcoming musical. 

Another beautiful stained glass piece by Violet Mae. Violet had a funny later schedule at school this week because of state testing. She and I also made a couple of trips to Quigley Canyon.

San Fernando Coffee, at the old Honu location, had a special deal for a few afternoons this week, so I took advantage of it. I also met up with my college friend Melanie for lunch on Thursday.

Lastly, San Fernando Coffee is expanding a lot, and opened another location in Stevenson Ranch. I checked it out on their first day open, and they gave me 50% off my drink. Double yum!

Weekend Work and Play

Melanie had her biggest wedding of the year on Saturday, and Stace, Violet and I helped. 

The wedding was at a Simi Valley venue we've worked at before, but this time it was only warm, not hot, so that was a blessing.

All done!

Stace worked on hanging the blue trumpet flowers. 

I loved this venue, more than the super fancy beachy venues we've helped at. (Not that this wasn't equally fancy or expensive...just more to my taste with old world charm.)

On Sunday, Stace and I went to the annual Cowboy Festival, and made sure we saw more music than we have been able to watch the last few years.

In the vendor area, we watched this artist burning a design into a hat. Violet would have enjoyed that.

Below, we have part of the living history area.

A new corner of the festival at Hart Park featured the Western town set Violet and I saw during a Halloween event in Newhall. It was a perfect addition, and many people were taking photos. This was one of the great things about former festival host Melody Ranch: you were walking around a replica Old West town.

Also over the weekend, I saw two plays with Christina. We saw an amazing musical called Ride the Cyclone on Friday night, and a psychological thriller called Wait Until Dark on Sunday, after the Cowboy Festival. Both were great!

Chicago - Stace Blogs!

A work trip to one of Woodward's factories in Rockford took me to Illinois for a couple of days. 

I flew into Chicago airport and drove into the city, where I was met in the downtown area by Elizabeth and Emma.

 The two locals, who live in a nearby suburb, met me for a pizza dinner: deep dish, Chicago style, of course, and then took me on a walking tour.

We visited The Bean (top photo), took in the skyline, and walked along the Chicago River that meanders through the modern skyscrapers and old buildings that make up this famous city.

After a lovely couple of hours of walking and catching up, it was time to say goodbye and drive the almost two-hour drive north to Rockford.

 

Tidbits

This squirrel has been bold lately. He was in the front tree, teasing both cats, the other day, and this week he was on our wall, just yards away. Cats were going nuts!

I saw an unbeatable sale on a combo vacuum/mop robot. Plus, I had birthday money I'd been holding onto for just the right time. 

The cats were intrigued/frightened at first, as shown here. Like everything, though, they got used to it pretty quick.

You're encouraged to name your robot vacuums - I named mine Sidney, after Sid the Sloth from Ice Age. Because getting a robot to vacuum means I'm getting lazy... but can I admit that so far, I love it!? I can just set it up in a room, move the big things out of the way, and minutes later the floors are clean!

Stace is away for work this week - more on that later. But knowing he was gone anyway, when JT invited me to go to a concert at a church with her, I immediately said yes. Didn't know the artist, didn't matter; we don't get to see each other enough!

We were in a very Asian area in the San Gabriel Valley, so I picked up Chinese food and we ate out of the back of her car. How very English! It was a nice night out.

Earlier on Tuesday, I took Seb to the vet for a weight check, and he hasn't lost more weight, so we are happy that we don't need to worry about anything serious right now, beyond his urinary crystals and stage 2 kidney disease. Because he throws up more than he should, the vet prescribed a different food - one that is for digestive issues, PLUS urinary crystals. Cha-ching! 

I saw a post from an animal trainer in the entertainment industry looking for grey and white cats for a cat litter print ad. Why not, I thought? Winston might have the outgoing nature for it. So, I met the lady at the pet store to see how he'd react to a new situation. He didn't do too badly! She submitted him to the company but they ended up choosing other "talent." 

(Maybe he didn't come across as professional enough...)

OK, this is a funny story. Remember Stripes? Click here if you don't...

The day before Easter, Stace and I left for church around 6 pm and closed the garage door, which had been open several hours. Later, around 9, I went into the garage to get cat food, and felt something brush my leg. Stunned, I turned around, and there was Stripes! Rubbing my leg, flopping on the rug. "Ummm, sir! How long have you been stuck in our garage??"

I opened the door, and Vi and I walked him down the paseo, praying he'd find his way safely home.

Well, this week, I went into the garage Thursday morning, and found this deceased young gopher in front of the laundry! On Wednesday, there was an hour or two that I'd left the garage open. I can't say for sure, but I think Stripes might have brought me a gift. Our cats aren't outside to hunt, and this is right where I've found Stripes (twice) in our garage, near the extra cat food, and the laundry. Hmm.

 

This is what happens when you leave your dough to rise, eat dinner, go to Quigley to take a walk, and forget you were supposed to be baking bread!

Thankfully, it still baked well and wasn't too airy to slice. (I'm sure there's a proper word for that?? The opposite of dense...)

Violet wants to make a coat for her upcoming trip to Alaska. She has a specific style/pattern in mind. We found a fabric shop not far from where Stace works, in an industrial unit. It felt like an old-fashioned shop, where the proprietor knows every square inch of her offerings, and is full of advice and knowledge. 

End of Spring Break

A couple of tidbits from our drive home Friday - we stopped for cheap(er) gas at the Morongo Indian Casino, and noticed Hadley's was next door. I've heard of Hadley's, one of these giant markets with interesting foodie things, known for their date shakes. 

So, since we needed a bathroom break anyway, we stopped in and got a date shake and some other yummies.

We then stopped in Oak Glen, at Riley's Farm, a favorite place that we wish wasn't a solid two hours from home. But it was on the way, so we had lunch and bought an apple pie to take home. 

We also drove through the beautiful hilly area, and stopped at another shop and got local honey. On our way down the mountain, we spotted a deer. 

On Saturday, Stace and I went to an Arbor Day Tree Festival, where we saw a man caring a bison out of wood with a chainsaw.

Meanwhile, Cora had a big day. She went to the Renaissance Faire, planning to meet friends, but that didn't work out so she had a solo adventure. 

Still, she looked cool!

Later, she went to a slider meetup, and then to In-N-Out with some sliders, so it was a very long, fun day for her.

Someone at the meet filmed this clip of Cora and posted it, so I recorded it off Instagram. Cool to see what she's learning to do. And, the spin she ends with was intriguing to veteran sliders, who wanted to watch her and try to learn how to do it!