Beach and Ojai Day Trips

While Cora had her last couple of Fright Fest shifts, we had a beach day Saturday and an Ojai getaway Sunday.

Colleen and Rigo planned a final beach day of the season, and while it's been warm and sunny at home, it was cloudy and cool at the beach. 

No matter! We still had a great day together.

We ladies took a long walk, just as we did two months ago at this same beach. So much wildlife - lots of various shorebirds, dolphins, and sea lions, along with dead lobsters, crabs and a giant sea star on the shore.

These are Colleen's photos, other than this one - Stace saw this album cover in the making.

Violet suggested Ojai on Sunday, and even though we had things we could have gotten done around the house, we decided to be spontaneous and go with her idea.

We parked at the big lot behind the park near this amphitheater, known as the Libbey Bowl. There was a jazz band concert happening when we walked by, so we stopped for a minute.

We walked around the town and got coffees and went into an antique shop, before heading up to a hillside hiking trail. We were there around sunset, and it was beautiful.

When we got home, I heated up the rest of the lasagna from the freezer that Melanie had made Stace in appreciation for his work on their car. We invited my dad over to share it with us, since he has a lot of quiet weekend nights during Fright Fest.

Another Cat Post

 Pretty boy.

Violet was considering lining this mandolin case;  Winston thinks it's a good idea.

We watched Fantastic Mr. Fox on a weekend night when Cora was working. Winston and Evie watched with us.

Friends.

Also friends. Everyone likes Evie.

Evie is on her back, head turned over, watching the birds in the bird feeder.

So thirsty!! Ha!

Week in Review

 One of the projects on the list is installing guttering on the back room, and incorporating the new rain barrels we picked up. These ones have the bells and whistles - they have a fine mesh screen at the top so mosquitoes can't get in, and a spigot threaded for a hose, to access the water. Our more decorative wine barrel lacks those advantages.

Stace and Violet worked hard Sunday and got this side finished!

Meanwhile, I spent time with Kelly - we went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and got dinner before heading to Fright Fest. 

Kelly is a friend who has supported Cora in her acting over and over through the years.

The black light was intense where we were taking photos!

We enjoyed our time with Lorraine Lurane, too. It was great catching up with Kelly; we hadn't seen each other since our June trip to the Hollywood Bowl. 

Cora joined her Fright Fest coworkers for bowling after Sunday's shift, and had fun. I'm so happy she's socializing, and enjoying her coworkers enough to want to do so. But it did make for a very late night! She slept a lot of Monday to catch up, after her English class.

Violet and I went back up to DeBellis Farm in Acton on Tuesday after school to pick up half-price pumpkins, with Halloween coming this week. They weren't "cheap" but definitely fair priced, and I love supporting local small businesses.

On Thursday, Violet had her monthly walk with the hiking club at her online school. This time, at the urging of her teacher and office staff, I joined. We walked at Mentryville, and our group included a teacher who is a geology expert. He explained how the area formed, and discussed the strata in the hillside there.

It was a pretty morning!

On Thursday, Stacey had dental work done, so I made potato soup, which would be easy to eat. Then I went to watch Eloise, while her parents went to a candlelight strings concert. Gibby the cat was very relaxed!

Here are the pumpkins Stace and Violet carved. That's about as Halloween as we got this year - Cora was working at Fright Fest (so she had AMAZING makeup and costuming), and Violet didn't dress up or trick-or-treat. Stace and I enjoyed passing out candy with our neighbors - the last few years, we've had the tradition of standing outside together and chatting. This year, Ryan and Sally had a TV out front with the Dodgers' World Series game on. It was fun!

Wedding Workers

Melanie had three weddings on Saturday, as October has become a popular wedding month where we live. We helped her by setting up one of them, just the three of us!

This one didn't involve a complicated arch, just nest pieces/arrangements that we could put on the floor for the ceremony, and move to the head table for the reception.

We also set up lots of bud vases on the dining tables, and Violet spread out greenery in between them. 
 

Two of the nest pieces are shown above, on the dessert table. Violet decorated the cake! My little artist did a fantastic job.

Here was the head table after the ceremony, while the couple was still away having photos taken.

The wedding was at the county's Arboretum in Arcadia, where peacocks and hens run wild, loudly. It was fun setting up with their help.

After the wedding, we went down the street, where we had a variety of Asian restaurants to choose from. We settled on Korean. Yum!

Tidbits

 Violet completed this painting for her AP art class. I love it.

And she completed this lacy artwork on her hand.

The sunset the other night was gorgeous, and we were out and about, so we went to Iron Horse Bridge- one of the best spots for a pretty sunset in town.

Violet's newest artistic pursuit is embroidery. She purchased various colors and a hoop, and started with these gingko biloba leaves on a black shirt.

I met up with a few ladies for dinner Friday night, while Stace played soccer. 

After, I took Violet to a local home that sets up a Western-themed Halloween attraction. It was so well-done! Photos are from the Signal, the local newspaper.

Also this week, I got bit by something outside of Ralphs, after I'd done my grocery shopping. I'd bought bananas, so perhaps it was some weird spider?

Thankfully, besides continued stinging, swelling, warmth and hardening of the skin, I didn't have any WORSE symptoms. After a couple of days, it calmed down and healed. I sure wish I'd looked quickly enough to see what had bitten me!

Sunday Things

 

I went with my friends to Pasadena on Sunday, to the Asian Pacific Art Museum. It was a small place, but we enjoyed the exhibits, and it was free!

I thought Violet would enjoy the exhibit on music, since she has been interested in old/ancient stringed instruments.

There were even camels to ride!

After the museum, we went out to Jen's favorite Thai restaurant. 

Meanwhile, Stace and Violet went to a music shop to look around and get new picks for the mandolin. 

They also watched our favorite history programs and were inspired to make a medieval apple and pear pie.

When I got home, we went out to the archery range, and then to the store for the ingredients.

Then, they started chopping!

Simple, as it would have been 500 years ago.

But beautiful...

...and delicious!

We watched Fantastic Mr. Fox while enjoying our pie.