Category Archives: grandchildren

The good and the bad.

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One of the Feather Trees

I know we are instructed as Christians to give thanks in everything, but there are things that we can’t honestly give thanks for. I’ll start with one of those Bad events:

While my family was here, we had the unhappy discovery that the fairy house creations at the creek had been vandalized, and Ivy’s beautiful sign torn down. We could tell it wasn’t just city maintenance workers reducing the fire hazard or anything like that, because although the dry grass had been chopped down a lot, it wasn’t a thorough job. And there was graffiti on the far side of the creek, along with gnomes thrown into the stream and various items disappeared altogether. The fairy who had through many seasons hovered overhead by means of fishing line, was not to be seen.

My gnome before.

 

My granddaughter found her sign and hung it up in a less conspicuous place. Probably the presence of the sign had drawn the attention of the vandals to the opportunity to destroy something. We were both very sad about this, and angry. But I don’t think Ivy has given up; I won’t be surprised if the next time she is visiting down here I find myself collaborating on a rehabilitation of the fairy village.

In the meantime, on her recent visit, Ivy came bearing my own garden gnome, meticulously painted so that he is better than new.


Starting with the refurbished gnome, I have only Good things to report.

Near a different creek that runs through my neighborhood, is a lovely city park that is Ever Green with soccer fields and Coast Redwood trees. Pathfinder and I went there with his nephews on the way back from the grieved fairy house village, and the three of them threw a football to each other for a while. I walked around taking pictures of them and of the trees that have only grown more majestic over the 36 years since we first visited them a block from our house. What a blessing they are.

On my own property, my only dahlia has bloomed for the first time. After I had forgotten planting it and before I noticed it happening it was fully open, and startled me.

Decades ago I had quite a few dahlias, but there wasn’t really room for them, so I gave them away. For a recent birthday a friend gave me a dahlia tuber, which I’d first planted in a pot, where it barely survived. So I planted it in the front garden, where it is a Good.

And the final great Good for today is Queen Anne’s Lace, growing quite mysteriously and so welcome at the corner of my own driveway. Over the years several other species have volunteered themselves among the oenethera there, mostly arriving from the garden on the other side of the driveway. This is the first wildflower that has traveled all the way from the creek path. I can hardly believe my good fortune at the bestowal of this beloved plant. May it ever increase!

Summer ought to be warm.

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Daughter Kate and her family are visiting me for a while, so I’ve been occupied with them and not thinking about my blog. But today they are visiting friends in another city, and I walked around the garden where a pollinator party is ongoing….

This time it was a Cabbage White butterfly that got my attention, in the midst of bees who were also enjoying the lavender.

All the nectar-drinking creatures seem to be luxuriating in the heat; when they luxuriate it means they are all limbered up and move more easily, and faster. At least, that’s how it seems to  me. I feel that way, except for the faster part.

Kabocha squash growing bigger…

Many of the calendulas are spent, but this one just opened:

Before my family arrived, I tried a new zucchini bread recipe to have ready for them. I used this one from the New York Times Cooking site, but cut the sugar by half, and doubled the lemon zest: Olive Oil Zucchini Bread. (If you use this link you can access the recipe, that I am “giving” you.) It’s quite delicious. Unfortunately, I had to buy the zucchinis for it! I guess I didn’t sow my seeds in a good place, as the plants are not growing. I will have to wait longer to have a satisfying summer squash harvest. It’s been years since I’ve been satisfied that way.

I had a longing to make real strawberry shortcake, using the shortcake recipe from my oldest edition of the Joy of Cooking. We ate it for Rigo’s belated seventh birthday party. That recipe called for a little butter, plus “milk or cream.” Note to self: Don’t use all cream! Everyone loved it, but it was super rich.

We are all about soccer this week, as my dear people brought me their zeal for the sport and for the World Cup happening right now. I’ve watched two games with them already, and expect to see two more, including the final game this weekend. My children all played on recreational soccer teams as youths and I do love watching. These professionals are incredible athletes, and I am constantly amazed. Kate’s family have just moved from Argentina, and are excited that Argentina is still in the playoffs. When Raj and Rigo built a Lego street scene, it included a soccer field with a game and spectators. Go, Argentines!

Grandchildren enjoy gnomes and goats.

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A couple of grandchildren, Ivy and Jamie, were with me for ten days, which we all agreed felt luxurious. We walked a lot! To the grocery store twice, to the bridge over the creek almost every evening, to the fairy houses and to the library more than once.

We made four visits to two library branches in the first five days, during which the children stocked up on their favorite authors and titles that are not available in their more rural area of northern California. Armloads were brought into the house to read in bed early and late, and at various other times throughout the day. Space Boy graphic novels, The Ranger’s Apprentice series, Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, and a Godzilla encyclopedia were among the stacks.

We also read together: from The Little Bookroom by Eleanor Farjeon — it seems we always must do that one; Malcolm Guite’s new Galahad and the Grail; and we listened to all of Johnny Tremain while doing jigzaw puzzles or riding in the car.

I have to say a little about Galahad, which I had been waiting to read until I had someone to read with, as it’s a long poem best read aloud. The children were happy to join me; they are very familiar with the Arthur stories and liked hearing this telling of it. Here’s one random stave’s opening page:

It is gorgeous to look at, to feel, and to hear. It is bound in such a way that when I laid it down face up for a few minutes,  the pages were relaxed and I didn’t lose my place. We read three or four staves, which was a good start for me. I will continue to read aloud now, though no one but me will listen.

One day the children and I got an informal tour of a farm animal sanctuary that a friend of mine operates. The guide had to leave us alone in the “Kiddergarten” for a while, which was the highlight of our visit there. The kids were darling and so friendly. That day was a joy for every one of us.

Another day we drove out to the coast and soaked up the sun for several hours.  We brought home quite a bit of sand, and some of this bright green kelp, which I washed six times and then cooked into soup.

Both of the children slurped that up eagerly, and I finished the last of it today.

I wanted to check out the stretch along the creek where we discovered installations of fairy houses, gnomes and mushrooms several years ago, and to see if anything had survived the intervening winter storms and high water. So we took the bike path farther than usual, and found one of my near neighbors whom I never see, adding a few new items that very minute.

After the neighbor departed, Ivy found a place she could get across the creek to do various repair work and rearranging of gnomes and houses that had fallen over. Most of the fairies were pretty weather worn, but several new and bright mushrooms and gnomes had been added to the landscape.

Ivy was frustrated by not being able to do more. We tried to imagine how some of the fairies had been hung high above the creek; a ladder must have been involved, and dedicated, visionary artists. I wished for some pruning shears to open up the space for better viewing, and Ivy resolved to make a sign for the area; she accomplished that last night after sawing an old board from the garage to size. Today we went back and she very cleverly hung the sign.

It reads, “Welcome to the Fairie Village of Feather Tree.” Feather Tree refers to a couple of trees nearby into whose bark dozens of bird feathers had been inserted, which I failed to take a picture of.

When we got home I looked for my own garden gnome and found him in the playhouse. He is also weatherbeaten and faded, so Ivy took him home to give him a fresh coat of paint.

Yesterday was our last full day together. Jamie was already at his other grandma’s house, when Ivy and I decided to make cookies. We baked and assembled the Lemon-Poppyseed Sandwich Cookies I have made at Christmastime more than once. With two of us working at it, they were so easy. We finished just after dinnertime and took plates of them next door and across the street to four of my neighbors.

It has been a great week! I kept thinking I would post about our doings midway, but evidently there was not enough mental focus for that. Now the house is back to normal, with only one person reading early and late. I’ll be re-grouping and organizing my mental resources, and getting ready for the next visit from family, in only about three weeks. The summer has surely begun on a note of happiness.

Halfway, the cactus bloomed.

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My Christmas cactus opened its first bloom on Christmas Eve. We were already halfway through our family celebrations at that point, and I had moved most of the houseplants into the Morning Room upstairs, in anticipation of needing all possible space for human bodies.

Several days before actual Christmas Day the family started to arrive, from five locales in four states. Three days later, the first departures happened, and by the afternoon of the Fourth Day of Christmas, I was alone in the house again.

Once Pathfinder and I were the only ones left, I brought the cactus with its stand downstairs again, so I can admire it throughout the day.

Before I continue with the Christmas theme, I want to show other current floral happenings in house and garden. Blooming orchids, my first picking of Chinese Broccoli, and a last Japanese anemone. The pomegranate bushes are decorating the garden with their changing color.

It was a lovely, lovely Christmastime. Soldier’s and Kate’s families couldn’t come this year, but Pearl and Nate and two of their children’s families were able to make it. The youngest child was my great-granddaughter Lori, who is 6 1/2 now. She is a lot of fun!

Lori met several family members for the first time. I wonder if in 2026 I will manage to meet my two great-grandsons who will soon be a year old. They live in two different states, but were brought together for an early Christmas, from which meet-up I received a picture to share:

It rained a lot the whole week of our festivities, but not constantly. There were enough breaks that a few short walks were taken, and one outing to the coast. While most of our group was gone on that latter trip Pearl and I both took naps. She did much of the cooking for several days, but I made one large dinner and breakfast for the crowd. Pippin and the Professor served in the kitchen one night as well. The food was abundant and appreciated!

This year I didn’t make any cookies myself. Lori’s cookies were from a King Arthur gluten-free recipe, and the spice profile was really nice. I did make some goodies to eat and give away: This  Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread was the most popular recipe in all of 2025 on the New York Times Cooking site. I’ve unlocked it as Christmas present from me to you ❤

I forgot to take a picture of mine. I followed the advice of several cooks who added ginger, more cranberries, and less sugar. It was enjoyed very much by everyone, with a dollop of whipped cream on top. I want to make it again soon.

I made Candied Espresso Walnuts, and our longstanding traditional California Fruitcake/Jesus Birthday Cake/Nativity Cake, which I hadn’t done for some years. People sliced from one big loaf for breakfast and snacks here, and I gifted the others. This time I made it with a gluten-free flour blend, which worked pretty well.

Lori took the initiative to find this felted hummingbird ornament among the things her family had brought, and gave it to me early. She had seen other hummingbirds on the tree and didn’t want to delay.

When she was ready to go out and explore my garden and greenhouse, her shoes were in the bedroom where her mom was sleeping, so her father let her use his boots.

I love my Christmas tree this year! It is a Nordmann fir from Home Depot — amazingly symmetrical and well filled out. Last year the big LED lights I had on my tree were so bright it pained me to look in that direction, so I bought tiny incandescent lights this year and they are perfect.

I had laid in bright materials for making paper chains, in case Lori would like to do such a craft with me. She wasn’t interested, so I made three long chains after everyone had arrived and were doing all the work around me. We hung them on the black railings that had recently been painted; after that, I somehow had the energy also to hang up the ribbons pinned with the prettiest old Christmas cards.

Because of the comings and goings all week, I didn’t wait for Christmas Day or Epiphany, but put the Baby Jesus and the Wise Men in their places at the outset. I’d like to wait until the Presentation of Christ on February 2nd to take down the tree, and to put away the Nativity scene. I’ll need to gather some fresh greenery from the bike path before then!

I know that by today, most people are thinking ahead to the new year coming in, so I wanted to post these images of the end of 2025 while it is still December. Happy New Year! I wish you courage and Hope in the coming year, and may the good desires of your heart be fulfilled in 2026 ❤