newport back bay

...for old hangouts.  newport back bay is an amazing nature area/ preserve within walking distance of our old house that we never quite took enough advantage of while we could.  now that we're on the other side of town, it's a little bit more of a production getting over there.  picture a precarious looking bike rack tied to the car and two bikes hanging on for dear life.

once we get out there, though, man.  it is beautiful.  walkers, runners, bikers, horse riders and dog walkers all around.  trails for everyone, and a pleasant downhill stretch where you feel like you're flying.

it's the uphill stretch getting back to the car that i could do without.  it gets steeper every. single. time.  and my old lady lungs just can't take it.     

v for victory

...for this little guy i found chillaxing at the garden store the other day.  at first i was confused about why a frog needed to be making a political statement.  it seemed ill fitting.

but then my husband shared that he gives the same peace sign when merging into traffic during his commute.  and i thought what a weirdo how refreshing that must be for other drivers on the freeway.

to each his own {ribbit}.

sunday afternoon on the island...

...for nature's own abstract art.  to me, this one looks very much like an overhead of  monet's water lillies series.  or squinting slightly, it might be a drippy pollock.  or even a pointellist seurat {with ladies holding umbrellas and picnic baskets waiting just outside the frame}.

but actually, it's just a pretty scene from an outdoor garden.  tall grasses and purple white flowers all mixed up.

and its slight confusion is lovely to me. 

cycle of musings

...for weekend biking.  now that the husband's bike is all ship shape thanks to his dad, we can finally cycle around the wilds of orange county.  or our own neighborhood.  some of those teenagers look pretty unruly to me.

here are some observations from our most recent ride:

this is great!  we are totally doing this every weekend.
i wish my helmet had a visor.  at least it's pink. 
padded bike shorts would be awesome right now.
our neighbor girl has cute shoes.
that park has a tunnel?  cool.
my booty hurts and my forehead is pretty sweaty.
ian, slow down.
i should have brought snacks.  
back home?  woot!

tour de france, it's only a matter of time.

bird brains

...for birds in cahoots.  we caught these two gazing out from atop our kitchen window last weekend.  i can only imagine that their eyes were on the hummingbird feeder. 

sweet sugar syrup in a bright attractive package?  game on.

#80s movies rock

...for dual purpose landscape design.  this outdoor garden not only fills up space, but it also allows for what could be a really awesome game of labrynth.  to me, the man to the left is staring at the rest of his family and strategizing how to best get over there.

"hmmmm.... i can see them, yes.  but should i go left?  right?  cut through center?  what if they make a break for it while i'm still standing here?"

it's like david bowie should pop out any minute.  you have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth, before your baby brother becomes one of us... forever.  

 

 

the peculiar purple playground

...for a nice commute.  during my last longterm sub assignment, i began parking a quarter mile away from my school to avoid the chaos that was the parking lot.  crossing guards and school buses and street sweeping warnings were really starting to get to me.  so every morning and afternoon, i walked through this beautiful park on my way to and from work.  whatever this purple tree is, it covered the ground with enough color to really make the scene picturesque. 

one day after school, i saw a lovely moment where a dad and his young toddler son were playing on this playground.  the boy was happily holding dad's hand as he stood uncertainly at the top of the slide.  i felt happy and content inside as i watched.

and then i realized something. 

"wait a minute.  that baby is not wearing any pants!"

moment ruined.  nudity is not for public parks, even in santa ana.

nooks and crannies

...for the creativity of birds.  to me, this is a really unlikely spot for a nest, but some bird must have seen things very differently.  our landlord offered to spray it down before we moved in, but backtracked when she saw the look of horror on my face.  i've never actually seen a bird in this little nook and cranny, but i've seen some feathers.  i'm happy that our rafters are pulling double duty as cozy nests.

side note for you readers:  i was standing on a chair to get this photo when i noticed a hummingbird taking a drink at the feeder just outside the photo frame.  the hummingbird noticed me at the same time, and scared the bananas out of me by flying waaaaaaay too close to my head.  i'm lucky not to have face planted off the chair. 

the things i do for my blog. 

lilly of the garden

...for our landlords.  after our last prettysurehewasstonedallthetime landlord cheated us out of our security deposit refund, i was very nervous about signing the lease on our house.  i'm pleased to say i've had nothing but positive experiences with our current lady, including her great taste in gardening.  little by little, i've discovered fun plant and flower surprises in our backyard.  husband found this callalily hiding the other day and pointed it out.  these are some of my favorite flowers, and i even tried to use them in my wedding bouquets {tried being the operative word here... these guys are expensive}.  i associate these flowers with calm and peace, and they are my little moment of calm in the backyard.

little moment of calm sprinkled throughout many more little moments of ridiculousness, that is.  such is life.

uf(hbf)o's

...for happy hour.  we received this hummingbird feeder from my uncle as a christmas gift last year and finally put it up last weekend.  to be fair, four months is pretty quick on the using a gift time ladder for me.  i've got giftcards older than my fifth graders.  not being a nature enjoying girl, i wasn't sure if any birds would even see it in our backyard, much less want to drink.

i'm happy to say i was so, so wrong.

the first few days, i'd watch in awe as one bird at a time would fly up and enjoy.  sometimes, two or three hummingbirds hang out drinking together.  it makes my heart happy.

although, if we're being honest, the mixture is sugar syrup.  you could cover my arm in it, and i'd be all about it.  #birdjealousy

man meets meat

...for new weekend traditions.  as a kid, i suffered from sunday night anxiety.  unfortunately, this has only gotten worse as an adult.  taking advantage of the recent spate of gorgeous weather {which i'm sure will turn to rain now that i've blogged it}, we've been enjoying beers and bratwursts as an end of weekend happy moment the past few weeks.  husband loves his grill, and i enjoy standing inside far away from any flareups which might leave one eyebrowless.  win win.

optical illusion squirrels

...for the power of imagination.  this past weekend at target, i saw a random squirrel in the parking lot making a beeline for this tree.  {squirrels and bees and target, oh my}.  he really seemed to be enjoying himself up there.  it looked like he was snuggling against the branch...although he might have been scratching an itch.  dunno.  i took out my camera and tried to get close without scaring him off, but he disappeared before i could get my zoom on. 

so since we're all friends here, just look at the pretty picture above and imagine a squirrel enjoying a sunny saturday afternoon.  and perhaps an acorn or two.  pretend he's one of those rare camoflauging squirrels.

ok, this post is officially ridiculous.  have a good day. 

spring fling

...that spring has sprung.  i saw this tree at work a couple of weeks ago and loved the unique color and shape of the blooms.  i took a picture not knowing what they were, only that i enjoyed them.  {i was definitely busted by a student while taking the picture, who thought it was amusing i was standing all up in the tree's business trying to get a closeup.  i told the kid to go back to the playground}. 

flash forward a few days, when i saw an almost identical picture on one of my favorite blogs.  apparently, they are bottle brush.  looking at them now, that makes perfect sense.  i love it when things are named for what they actually look like.  {cough cough red onions, i'm looking at you}.   

the weather up there

...for optical illusions.  on my walk the other day, i found myself marveling at these forever long legs.  nevermind the fact that i look like i'm on stilts, i'd be nine feet tall in real life if this picture was real, or even the horrors that would be pants shopping.  for a moment here, i was tall.  alas, my little legs can only dream.   

ch ch ch chia

...for getting my green thumb on.  plants and i haven't always been friends {i once killed bamboo}.  but i'm turning over a new leaf {ha ha} with my new little chia pots.  in a little bit, we'll have basil, chives and parsely that i can proudly declare i grew myself.  i even made these fun little greenhouses out of sandwich bags like the directions told me to.  it's been two weeks or so since this picture, and i'm actually seeing basil looking sprouts appearing.  i've probably jinxed myself by posting that, but i'm proud my little ones have made it thus far alive. 
.

chill out

source

 

...that the past couple of days have actually been cool enough for sweaters of all kinds.  the husband and i christened our fireplace this weekend and it was glorious.  it's supposed to hit 90 again next week, but hopefully that will be summer's last hurrah.

week of 10/7: 

sunday:  sick

monday:  sick

tuesday:  taught yoga {and had the bananas scared out of me when an older woman complained of dizziness and was unable to get up from her mat after class}

wednesday:  rest

thursday:  taught yoga

friday:  rest

saturday:  rest

on the yoga front, once i start each class, i'm generally calm and the movements feel very fluid.  after thursday's class, i received two very sincere compliments from two different members.  still working on my anxiety before each class though.  it's like i need yoga before yoga. 

sunsets and sweaters

...for the candy corn colored sunset i happened to catch while i was making dinner the other night.  fall has arrived, slowly but surely, and i can hear my sweaters whispering to me from the closet.  said sweaters are currently keeping me cozy during a case of the sniffles, thanks to some very special public school children and their germs.  they got the sharing is caring message loud and clear.  

golden girls and boys

...for the oldies who watch from outside their leisure world condos each memorial day morning at the laguna hills 5k.  their flag waving, cheeriness and general wrinkly adorableness make the gasping for air pleasant jog walking so much more fun.  i hope i'm that cute when i'm 90. 

change the weather, still together when it ends

...for sunnier skies, brighter days, better moods and lazy sunday afternoons.

walking the walk

...that no one called the police to report a suspicious looking blonde girl power walking around santa ana this afternoon.  bbbrrrrrr!  it was cooold out there.