Arizona Living.....California Bloodlines.....A Dodger Legend

One of the soundtracks of my life is "California Bloodlines' by John Stewart, who had a haunting charisma  small cult following in the Southwest.  I did meet him several times, saw him on stage in Southern California, Phoenix, Tucson, The Palomino Club in LA and more.  He was a brilliant writer, not so good singer, incredible artist and I thought a great entertainer.  His songs always come to my mind during events I do and places I go.  Sadly he passed away a few years ago, not far from me, at the Hotel Del in Coronado.  

Lyrics:  

Had I been born in New York City

A New York City girl I'd know
Workin' in the concrete, not the sunlight
Livin' in the New York rain and snow

Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California woman in my song
Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California heartbeat in my soul

And just to think I might have never known you
If I had lived my life in Tennessee
But I really could have never let that happen
For you and California are in me

Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California woman in my song
Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California heartbeat in my soul

Have you wondered where we were before we were born?
Rollin' 'round the heavens like a song
I know it's then I saw the big Sierras
Saw a California sunrise comin' on

Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California woman in my song
Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California heartbeat in my soul

Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart
And a California woman in my song
Oh, there's California bloodlines in my heart

So as I crossed the desert last week to see my Arizona born boy and his beautiful wife in their brand new home it was exactly what I found....Arizona Living, but some California Bloodlines..... 

Side note:  I wish I knew how many times I have crossed the desert from AZ to CA and CA to AZ....it has to be in the hundreds....several times a year since 1976.....wish I would have counted!  I think I know every cactus and rock by heart!

So here is how we rolled.....Uncle Adam and Adam Jr (Dylan) scout the seats at the DBacks to pick out the perfect seats.....

 Looks like the seats were good ones....each of the boys got a MLB ball from a player during batting practice....Thanks Uncle Adam!

One very happy boy and one proud Uncle....

The boys loved this huge backyard project in process and lots of fun digging in the dirt!

 Of course, inside was nice too....loads of new carpet and space to spread out and play on.....

 ...and boy did we love lounging in this great room.....so relaxing.....

We did manage to break away from the comfy loving home to do some outings.  We love to hit up Nordstrom's Last Chance when we go....this time we found a firetruck tie for Brody...he rocked it!

And another fave stop - Cafe Rio.....why oh why don't we have these in SD....

 See what you are missing San Diego???????  Fresh, delicious, inexpensive, win, win, win

 And back at the Casa - a little tour of those California Bloodlines I was writing about....

 A complete and whimsical Mickey Mouse bathroom.....upscale of course with original artwork and perfection in the way everything is placed....

This is out of order but we love playing games and played most of the weekend....here Dylan and I play Battleship, with Aunt Shannie's help.....we also played some fun ones when my brother came over - bummed I did not get pics of that!  We are gamers from way back in the day...

 What?  More signs of California Bloodlines?  The office done in Dodger Blue you say? 

A place for everything and everything in it's place.......

Loved the wall of champions......Is that because we went to hundreds and hundreds of Dodger Games when he was growing up?....he was at Fernando Valenzula's first game in 1981 and was there for  Orel Herishier debut in 1983 and when he finished the season with a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched....and countless other epic baseball events....on the wall is the Artful Dodger, Tommy LaSorda and voice of the Dodgers Vin Scully....and who is that last picture of??? 

Could it be the greatest of all baseball World Series comeback hitters Kirk Gibson?  Truth be told, we were at that incredible World Series game when Kurt hit the home run in the 9th to win the game and he could barely hobble around the field to tag all the bases!...A night Dodger fans will never forget - always ranked as one of the Top 10 Sports Highlights of all time!!!!  And the other part of the truth....2 drunk guys in front of us got in a fight and we decided to leave to be safe and as we were in the parking lot Kurt hit it out the there!!!  We could not believe it!  So as years pass and connections to Phoenix and California bloodlines cross, a loving athlete embraced my son, the loyal Dodger fan, invited him down to Diamondbacks game where he is now a coach, to meet in person and autographed this picture taken that night especially for him..."To Adam, Stay til the End...My Best, Kirk Gibson".

 Lessons learned as they say!

 I did get a chance to sneak off to old Glendale for some fun shopping!

Love those shops and all the goodies that they hold....

 be still my heart....

 And what fun to cook in this beautiful kitchen...I am not known for my cooking skills and honestly my kids never beg for anything I make (chicken and rice anyone?) but I do make a pasta that my daughter in law loves so this is my offering especially made for her!

 Road Warrior Rocky makes himself at home no matter where he goes!

 My Arizona sweeties found this while out shopping and fell in love with it.....

 So I tried to surprise them and by it and bring it home....'tried' is the key word here....they saw it on 16th St. and Camelback at Pier One....I tried to get it at 77th and Bell at Pier One....they did not carry said article so cross town driving it was!  But worth it to make them happy.  It does look perfect where they put it....

 So saying goodbye to my Granddogs....Abbey....

 Benson....

 Curious Cosby....

 And a final wave to this beautiful couple who reside at Casa ShAdam....back across the deser I go....

My loves:  Be happy in Arizona....stay til the end....don't forget your California Bloodlines!

A tough week for the USA.....A Red White & Blue Rememberence

 This has been a very sad week and a week of awakening....I am so heartbroken and troubled by the events in Boston....how so many people were just going about their day to day life and enjoying the marathon and family and in just a few minutes some very selfish terrorists changed many many lives forever....it reminds me that life is fragile, unpredictable and to be treasured....

It is hard for me to understand and comprehend how someone would want to harm someone else, especially people you have no personal relationship or agenda with, people that are valued by their family and friends and mean no harm.....

I am humbled and amazed at the brilliance of Boston's finest and the FBI...and equally sickened at how politicians attempt to politicize these events for their personal agendas....

So in memory to those who did not get to say their final goodbyes or tell their loved ones one more time that they mattered and were loved....we planted our spring flowers all in Red, White and Blue (or as Brody points out, Purple) to dedicate to them that they matter, that they are beautiful and their spirit lives on and on and on.....

How I experience what is around me is a reflection of what is in me.....Peace be with you all this week and always....

Murder, Floods, Thrifting, Cooking, Downtown Happy Hour, Swap Meets, Feeling Cukoo - This week had it all

We started our week being witnesses to a murder!  Murder in the Cathedral Opera I should add...it was amazing and reminded me of when we were in Italy on a gondola sailing by the Opera and hearing it all in Italian....incredible....and a very good story about how history is not always reality....like most of our history books describe.....

 Monday we had to go to La Jolla for a meeting with the doctor....the ride back was bumper to bumper.....because of this little disruption......but it was fun watching it soar 50 ft in the air!

 Steve and I got a tour of Dylans gardening progress....his apricots are growing!

 Zucchini coming right along!

 A little Cactus action!

 Baby snap peas....GiGi - so good to eat them right off the vine!

 Pumpkins!

 Steve and I delighted in this yummy lunch time getaway!

 Got to go Thrifting...this week toys were the big score!

 ....and I wanted a broken cukoo clock to paint all white and I scored this one for $25.00, german made and numbered and works but just needs a pendulum.  Rocky barks at it and they boys and I say cuckoo cuckoo all day when we hear it....I just don't think I have the heart to paint it as it is so close to perfect.....I am bidding on the pendulum to complete it.....my MaMa Auten had a cuckoo clock and I loved listening to it.   Years ago when we went to Germany I wanted to get one for my parents and with the language barrier the shopkeepers could not understand what I wanted....finally one very lovely German man said to me...Oh!  Der Cukoo!  and I said yes, yes! Do I drug it back across the Atlantic for my parents to enjoy.  I paid a fortune for it $$$$ and I have to say this one was a super bargain!

 I actually cooked this week!!!!!  Enchiladas for everyone!

 We went to a lovely dinner at my niece Amy's who lives in a downtown condo that Adam used to live it....oh, if they only lived there at the same time!!!  We had yummy and delish Bloody Marys...

 Didn't she make the most amazing stirrers!  Hello!

 ....and then we went rooftop and grilled....so so good...after our fun dinner they headed to the Padre game and we headed home...poor Steve just can't sit or stand for very long!

Sadly, a good friend of ours father passed away and we drove to Huntington Beach for the service....this is only a portion of all the wreaths and flowers that were present...

Our friends dad started a trucking business back in the 50's and grew it into a huge business....a true American Success Story....it was so humbling that many of the trucks drove to the grave site and had black ribbons and wreaths to pay their respect....there were hundreds and hundreds of people there and we were honored to pay our respects. Note to be gory by it was a military funeral the the folding of the flag, taps being paid and the casket was stainless steel and adorned with the stations of the cross....it was truly amazing...a very Italian family and steeped in tradition and family.....me familia for sure....

And because I love my girl.....only I would help her at her semi annual toy swap meet....she is one amazing girl and such a trooper.

The week flew by.....but it was all good!

The highlights.....to catch up.....

The past 2 weeks have flown by!  Each and every day filled with  a lot of stuff we have to do (dr appts for Steve, finishing the condo project, tax appts, etc.) and too little of stuff we want to do....(spending fun time with the boys, friends, shopping, dining, hanging out).....always looking for that balance!

Brody and I embraced our inner 70's self at lunch the other day....hey, I think I had those pants in 1971!

 The Easter Bunny came and hid the boys eggs in the strangest places!

 Look high, look low.....look where you think he won't go!

 How does a little bunny jump so high?

 Little Bro on the hunt....

 Goodies for the Adult hunters!

 Baskets for the little guys....

 Thanks Easter Bunny!

 An orange egg in an orange flower?

 A green egg on a green swing?

 Purple eggs in GiGi's blooming Wisteria????

 A tablescape for an Easter Bunny Brunch

Lots and lots of yummy goodies for brunch!

 Nice enough to eat outside!

 Out of order but too sweet not to post:

A quick trip to the Thrift store on half price day and I scored all this!

Love the 12 pcs Silver Set....($40.00)....it motivated me to polish it up and drag out my other 3 (yes I have a problem) silver sets and polish them up....then showed my bestie, Annette....

And she drug hers out so we have been having fun finding the patterns, polishing them up and finding replacement pieces if we need.....I love to polish silver - I could do it for hours....I love researching the maker, the pattern and the history....

 She has some incredible pieces.....so many from the 1800's.....we are enjoying working on her treasurers and will do some more this week!

And because we want to escape from all the stuff we don't want to do we are planning a summer road trip through the Mid-West, South, Southwest and back to SD......so ready!

I promise you blog I will do better on trying to balance it all.  Now, off to Dr. for Steve and by the condo to check on repairs....try is the key word here, peeps!