Loving and Learning

Loving

We are loving our new house! There are lots of pimples and blemishes that really need to be addressed. It is the warty kid that only a mother can love. Ah, we love our new house!

Our list of fix ups goes up one arm and down the other. Each day, weekend, and spare moment we tick away at the list. Each change is an accomplishment that only we can truly appreciate. Hopefully we're making the house welcoming to family and friends. An open invitation still stands to all. We aim to be welcoming, though the other day I realize that our bathroom is decidedly right handed. (Sorry Laurie!)

Both Arch and I have confessed to each other the silly things we're most proud of. For Archil, it is the new sill at the back door. For me, the new shower head and tub faucet. We're both thrilled by the almost very hot water that our new tankless water heater provides and know that soon we'll replace the hardware that will send us to a happy scalding place.

Today I carted home a trunk full of native Californian plants that they were giving away at work. I can't wait to have bright orange poppies in my front yard. I'm thrilled to think that fragrant sagebrush will soon come wafting up from beneath my kitchen window. Nye and I have picked out peppermint and oregano for by the back step of the kitchen (not native but still welcome.) The tomatoes are waiting patiently for their pots till I can find a new tub and soil for them. I think I may be over my head in love with plants and gardening, but bring it on . . . wild strawberries - yes!, native pink currents, you bet! . . . really what could be better? I now have a stack of gardening books that need my attention, not to mention a patch of crab grass that have to mow. Soon I will replace it with fragrant and edible plants! (Waterless the way to be here in CA.)


Living

Since all work does make life dull, we've decided to do our best to mix thing up a bit. This past weekend we went with our friend's Lynn and her daughter Elise to Maker Faire. Hopefully you're aware of Make magazine which explores all things wonderfully geekish and crafty. If not I encourage you to Google it and find out more!

The Faire is an annual celebration that is equal parts "art" happening, geek fest, street fair, and who knows what? (Don't know of many street fairs that have garlic fries with aioli sauce and crab.) It combines all the best of any event you've experienced, with a nice dose of weird. There are artists who've created fun sculptural pieces. The Eppybird guys regularly perform (think Mento's and Coke.) Many of the unusual people you might encounter at Burning Man are here in neo-retro post apocalyptic Victorian dress. Oh, and did I forget to mention the space ship?

Nye and Elise crafted head gear to wear throughout the adventure, thanks to Cliff bars. There were robots to be played with, Taiko drums to be banged, electric cars to be sat in. We even found the life size "Mouse Trap" game. I think we could have spent a lot more time exploring. Between the interactive Flaming Lotus Girls sculptures, robotic flame shooting dragons, and the robotic sharks chasing the kids, I was worn out at the end of the day. I can't wait till next year!!!

I encourage anyone in shooting distance of NYC to check out the Maker Faire that NY Hall of Science is hosting in June or July. Geek out for at least a full day!!

Warmly,

Sara, Nye and Archil

Mid-May and Crazed With New House Renovation

Ah, the new house renovation bug has bit. We're feverishly taking on 2-3 projects each weekend. Perhaps because the list is sooooo long. Still each day brings a welcome sense of progress to the new house. Someday soon we'll have a front and back door without the gaping holes beneath them!!

Early May was mostly taken up with travel for Sara. Off to the Association of Children's Museum conference in chilly St Paul, MN. Thank God for layers! One year of living in CA and I'm barely prepared for snow and sleet in mid-May. Good think I brought my winter coat, just in case. The conference was a welcome chance to catch up with many museum colleagues. A presentation and a meeting were a small price to pay I suppose. (The above picture taken on one of the few non-gray days.)


Native Plants
Back in Callie friends and I went to tour gardens in the East Bay which have been planted with native flora. I'm eager to learn more about this since water is in such short supply out here. California native wildflowers are very attractive and don't require the same watering regime as all the lovely lemons, bananas, and fruit trees one sees planted. I'm hoping to transform the front yard of this house into a native plant landscape. We're also looking at the option of having some native fruit bearing plants in the yard. Kristina and Michaela were kind enough to purchase me some native strawberries and a lovely native current during the tour. Now I just have to do my best not to kill them. Nye and I have already worked on putting the plants into pots and getting them situated into the proper sun regime in our new yard. Now we'll just have to see if they're happy.

So far we've managed to get most of the boxes unpacked. Curtains are up in a few of the rooms. We're moved into key rooms and fixing up details in the kitchen, bathroom, etc. Nye is putting a lot of pressure on us to purchase a grill so that we can cook up his favorites in the back yard. I'm sure that we'll get there but maybe grilling is more of a summer thing, right? For now we're enjoying the evolution of the fruit in our yard. We had a young friend Elise over the other day and introduced her to the joys of home made lemonade. Yumm!

All the best!

Sara, Nye and Archil