Week in Review

 

Violet and I checked out an equestrian center in Newhall on Tuesday, and were very impressed. It was huge! Some 60 horses, spread out in lots of areas, including the barn above. 

One of the instructors, Becky, gave us a tour. Some of the horses are boarded there, while many are owned by the ranch owners.

The mini horses were so cute! We will plan to start lessons soon.

While on a nature walk with Violet's school, near the Iron Horse Bridge, we saw a dead King snake. These snakes, with their distinctive black and white bands, are called that because they can eat rattlenakes. 

Cora and Violet stopped at the bridge at sunset one night this week after the Mean Girls rehearsal.

It was a long week for Cora, between her college classes, set strike for Once Upon a Mattress and Mean Girls work. At least she'll be making some good money with the last one!

Our blueberries are ripening! So many!

And we always have monarch butterflies in our yard. One is here on the milkweed, circled in blue.

I revived my sourdough starter and made a loaf this week.

Not too shabby.

Also this week, I woke up Friday to find the screen popped out of the dining room window, Evie in the yard, and Winston gone. Thank God, he was in the yard behind ours, and I was able to go grab him, though I don't love the thought of him knowing how to jump onto/over the wall.

And also Friday, Nick's car broke down, and he was towed to their mechanic near us. I picked him up, and picked Ellie up from school with him, and dropped them both off at their home.

Weekend of Beauty

 On Saturday, Stace and Violet took the MG out for a beautiful ride down Placerita Canyon and Sand Canyon roads. They even found water.

On their way back, they stopped at Loaf for treats.

They also did a photo shoot with this gorgeous car!

Otherwise, it was a relaxing Saturday. 

Cora had rehearsal for her musical, and then played an online murder mystery game the rest of the day with her old elementary/high school friends.

Stace, Vi and I watched more All Creatures Great and Small in the evening.

On Sunday, we made more sourdough whole wheat English muffins, and went to church and Home Depot. Cora played D&D online, but later didn't feel well and went to bed early.

Stace, Vi and I got poke bowls, and later went to Ventura to walk around and enjoy this stunning sunset. Truly outstanding!

Cats, Bread and Candles

Ever feel like someone is watching you?

(I was reading my devo with my coffee in bed, and SOMEONE wanted me to put water in the sink for him to drink.)

This week, I helped out Melanie and Nick a couple of times. They're moving! They're leaving their apartment in Glendale for greener pastures in Montrose, and I couldn't be happier. It's a great apartment, plus it's 15 minutes closer to us! 

I also milled flour and made sourdough and regular wheat sandwich bread. I also made oatmeal cake and sourdough blueberry muffins. Baking machine here!

Tiffany, Melissa and I have gotten back into walking together in the mornings, at least once or twice a week. We met up once this week at Honu, for the last time. Saturday was their closing day.

After we finished our coffee, we went to Barn and Charm to get a hostess gift for our friend Liz, who had us over for a party Saturday night.

Stace had to work Saturday morning, but only for a couple of hours. I met him at the Porsche dealer for their monthly car show, and dropped Violet off to him. Later, we went together to Acton to DeBellis farm, where they had a vendor selling barbecue, along with the the other farm shop goods. 

Liz had us all over later in the day for a candle-making party. It was great! We got to catch up, smell nice smells, and create a custom candle. Here, I'm stirring my chosen scents - lemongrass and eucalyptus - into the hot wax.

Liz knows how to throw a great party. She loves Valentine's Day and was happy to decorate for it.

Kitchen Creations and Kitty Cuteness

 A fun part of taking up sourdough is all the recipes available to use with the discard, part of the breadmaking process.

We've made pancakes and muffins, and this week we tried crackers. 

They came out well! It was nice to eat crackers with completely healthful ingredients - fresh whole wheat flour, butter instead of seed oils, nothing you can't pronounce.

I also made English muffins. They were great! I need to make these again.

I got the cats this plush warming mat at Aldi for Christmas. They all love it, and it's the most popular spot to lie on the couch. 

My babies!

Week in Review

 On Sunday, we went out with Colleen, Rigo and Liana to a new pizza place in town, where Lucas is now working. 

Later, Stace and I went to help our friend Christina at her nonprofit, which helps young adults who were part of the foster care system. And then, we went to see a Christmas play at a church with my other friend named Christina. 

It's December, and the girls (even the young adult) are happy to still have their Advent calendar chocolates to count down the days until Christmas.

Cora's also celebrating the end of her college English class this week. She didn't enjoy it, or the teacher, so it's good that it's over. She had kinder words to share about her other two online classes, and her fall semester theatre experience.

Violet has another week of school left, but she did attend a Christmas party with her online school ASB (student government).

We bought a tree this year through a Catholic charitable group that donates proceeds to Christina's nonprofit and Cora's old school. After buying more string lights, we decorated it after Stace played soccer on Friday. 

Evie helped...

...as did Winston. 

(Despite the funny cat videos we've seen, our cats don't mess with the tree. Winston will occasionally bat an ornament, but rarely.)

Violet and I went to Castaic for one of our evening walks. 

It was fun to see the deer prints in the mud.

I checked on these cuties once this week while my parents were both out all day.

I also went to watch Christina's daughter Melanie in a theatre production of Alice in Wonderland. She's second from the left, playing the Queen of Hearts. Off with his head!

Finally, I made sourdough bread for the first time, after getting starter and tips from my friend Lydia when we went out to breakfast this week.

There's room for improvement, but not bad!