Bell Choir (Again!)

Since my pregnancy has been so uncomfortable, I've been saying no to a lot of events that sound fun this Christmas season in an attempt to preserve what little energy I do have.  But one thing that was tempting enough to convince me was Christmas bell choir. If you remember, my aunt Heather and I rang with Jessica's group last Christmas, and when she asked us to participate again this year, neither of us could turn it down.

All the ringers were returning members from last year, which was really fun, and meant that we got into the groove of working together faster than we did last year. We performed at the Palo Alto Creche Festival, with our own 45-minute program (last year we just did two numbers as part of another group's program). We did about a dozen songs. It was a little daunting to learn all of the music, but I think we did a great job. Jessica chose beautiful arrangements of religious carols. It's so fun working with this group of people.

Reed took a few videos of the performance. Here is a clip of "What Child is This?":

I got a chance to sing during the program, too. Here is a clip of "Gesu Bambino", with the bells accompanying me underneath:

The Palo Alto Stake really does such a wonderful job with the festival. In addition to the continuous musical programs that serenade visitors, there are hundreds of nativities, grouped by theme or origin. One feature of the festival that we took advantage of this year was the children's room, where volunteers told the nativity story with marionette puppets.

Cal was absolutely transfixed. He loved the show so much that he suggested "Fluffy Marionette" as a name for the new baby. Thanks, Cal. We'll keep that in mind.

Family History Love

Something people might not know about me? I am a family history nut. I got interested in genealogy when we moved here -- a time when I had few friends and needed a serious hobby to keep myself sane. I'm happy to say that the hobby has turned into a pretty fruitful passion that will last the rest of my life. 

One of the things that has always held me back from getting involved in my family's genealogy was the assumption that all the work has already been done. Both my grandmothers are wonderful genealogists and family historians, and they've been working on our lines for years -- what hope do I have of making any difference?

The starting point for me was the realization that Reed's father's line was largely untouched. Richard is convert, so there are only a few people working on specific branches of the tree. I decided to start there, because it felt like a blank canvas. It was also easier to learn how to find sources, because I was working with more recent (20th- and 19th-century) census records. When I called Richard to ask a couple questions, it lit a fire under him. We both started searching, finding, and entering names. On a trip to Utah, we ended up scanning boxes of family records that had been in his possession for a while. He had been working hard on his line since I'd talked to him, and showed me this:

Look at that family tree! We looked at all the names, and decided where there were holes and where each of us would search. It led us both to interesting avenues of searching, including making letters to historical clubs in tiny rural towns in the south (no email).

Richard has even made trips to the sites himself, which is invaluable, since lots of the records we need are not digitized -- they're just in a storage room at the county office (a tiny building on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere). The search has yielded precious fruit. We've found photos, records, letters, graves, and even living relatives with memories of those we're searching for. Richard, Mr. Likeable himself, cold called distant Olsen relatives and was recounted a priceless oral history of August Olsen, the first Olsen of his line to come to America from Sweden. 

And after years of searching into Reed's paternal line, I've looked at mine, and realized that it has mistakes and holes. It was wonderful learning how to do genealogy with Richard's line, and I feel like I have a much higher level of discernment now, which I need, since being what I call a "proof-reading genealogist" is pretty nuanced and tricky. It has been wonderfully rewarding, though, to know that I am contributing to the accuracy and completeness of my own family line. I also appreciate the church's new family history system (familysearch.com) so much. The fact that we are all working on one live document feels so much more efficient that duplicating work privately and without connection. It is completely inspired, and makes me feel like my efforts make a cosmic difference.

I've also tried to make family history real in the here and now for my family. Cal had a cultural celebration at his preschool this year, where they asked each student to bring a dish from his country. I had him bring rosenmunnar (red lips) cookies, a traditional Swedish treat. The teachers loved it -- we are one of the only scandinavian-descent families, so we felt exotic amid all the other nationalities represented. What an awesome activity for all the children.

When we were in Boston, Reed and I took Olsen family names to the temple and did their work. It is so beautiful to feel connected to these people through ordinances. Names that need work from MY family tree are rare, but I have found three that need all the work done. I've mailed them around to my siblings, because I want us all to participate in the work. Family history binds us not only to our ancestors, but to each other, too. And as one of my local heroes, Julie Nef, said in ward conference a few years ago, doing the work for our ancestors frees them to bless our lives here on Earth.

I love that. I love genealogy, and I love how it transforms my heart.

Stanford Continuing Studies Classes

This past year, a friend and I have been taking classes through Stanford University's continuing studies program. I have loved driving up to the beautiful campus in Palo Alto each week.

Fall semester, we took a course on the Arab Spring; it was interesting to realize how much I do not know about the Arab world. Our instructor was a reporter for the New York Times, and was in Egypt when the Mubarak regime fell. His first-hand account of his experience was harrowing and unbelievable. And to think, he was available to teach at Stanford! I felt very blessed to be receiving such an authentic instruction.

Winter semester, we took a class called Architecture and Archaeology of Ancient Rome. I absolutely loved  it. As a humanities major, Rome seemed more or less familiar to me, but I was amazed at the amount I learned from the professor. It was wonderful to narrow my focus and learn about the detailed chronology of one place. I feel like it really strengthened my humanities foundation, and I will never forget how engaging the professor was. He had us laughing at his colloquial explanations of history, and his fervent hand gestures as he was trying to explain things were very memorable. Loved this class.

We are currently enrolled in a class about the Catholic church after the Vatican II council of the 1960s. Each lecture is taught by a different visiting professor, priest, or nun, and handles topics such as the ordination of women, the involvement of the laypeople, the liturgy being changed to native languages, missionary work vs. tolerance, etc.  My friend and I have even had the opportunity to attend mass at Stanford and talk to the priests afterward. It's a very respectful, non-threatening conversation about what our religions have in common, plus some of the common challenges both our churches are facing in today's world.

I have loved being a part of the learning and discussions and discoveries going on at Stanford, and I have enjoyed the 25-minute commute with my friend. We have great discussions, and it has definitely strengthened my already wonderful friendship with her. I'm hoping that CSU classes remain a part of my life here for a long, long time.

Saturday in the City

One of my birthday presents this year was a day trip to San Francisco.  As I've probably mentioned before, I find SF a little intimidating.  Before I moved to the bay area, I never would have considered myself a "country girl", and honestly, I still can't say those words with a straight face, but I am realizing that I tend to gravitate toward wide open spaces.  And that is one thing you will find none of in San Francisco: free space.  Thankfully, there are enough cool things in the city to overcome my doubts about driving down endless, winding roads in search of a rare parking spot. Exhibit A: Tartine Bakery.

Check out that line out front!  I was coming on a recommendation from a friend, and this place did not disappoint. 

They are famous for their morning buns, but I opted for a fruity scone and a hot chocolate.  A perfect breakfast to start my day!

I am nuts about historical buildings, and that is one thing that San Fran has in no short supply.  One of California's crowning historical legacies is its chain of Spanish missions running up the state along the Camino Real.  I had been to several growing up (they are standard fare in 4th grade classrooms all over California), and was excited to visit a new one; each has their own specific personality and story. 

The Mission Dolores in San Francisco:

It was built in 1776, and is the oldest extant building in San Francisco.

 It even survived the earthquake of 1906, although the same cannot be said for the more recent basilica to the right, which had to be nearly completely rebuilt.

The museum had photos on display which showed the damage to the basilica roof, and hearses out front carrying victims of the earthquake:

The basilica today:

 The inside was peaceful and quiet, lined with beautiful stained glass windows (many of which had to be replicated and replaced after the earthquake shattered them).

I just kept gasping and pointing, reading plaques and graves with excitement... what a historical treasure.

By the time the (self-guided) tour was finished, I'd worked up quite an appetite. Look at this cute little restaurant next to Golden Gate Park.  We killed time waiting for our names to be called by shopping for kids' clothes at a consignment boutique up the street, and then got to sit up on the rooftop addition, next to a cozy fire.  Lovely!  (And Cal scored two new shirts!)

After lunch, I made us go over to the Conservatory of Flowers, a beautiful Victorian structure dating to 1878.  (There's actually a controversy about its origins. COOL! History Mystery!!!) Isn't it just stunning?  It was one of the few structures to escape largely unscathed from the earthquake.

From there, it was a lovely, meandering walk to the de Young art museum lookout tower, which offers a panoramic view of the bay.

The last stop was an adorable bookstore across from the goodwill boutique.  (I had much more luck at the bookstore than with the clothes, as usual!)  I took pictures of about 10 new books to add to my to-read pile...which is getting frighteningly large...

It was a wonderful day in San Francisco, a city that intimidates me less and less with each visit. :)

Birthday and Anniversary

When Reed and I decided to get married two days after my birthday, I had some serious conditions to lay down. I expected two separate celebrations each year, and he had to get me separate presents. Haha! So I'm breaking my own rule here by not separating these events into two posts, but the weekend was just so full of fun, it was hard to tell where one thing ended and the other began. Let's start at the beginning...

On my birthday, I was woken by the sounds of my hubby serenading me with his guitar:

I knew it was going to be an awesome day!

Next, we took Cal to Jamba Juice to get one of my favorite smoothies, thanks to a birthday gift card from some of my friends (thanks, girls!).

After Reed finally left for work, Cal and I picked up tulip bouquets to pass out during the day as favors. Aren't they pretty?

Then it was over to a friend's house for a birthday lunch, complete with chocolate cupcakes!

And of course, we visited Carol, who shares my birthday. Here's Cal being silly as we waited for her to get home:

The day was filled with fun (and funny!) presents from friends and family, including concert tickets to Paramore from my Reed!

I went to girls' night out with friends, and finished up with a delicious chocolate cake. Don't I look happy?

On Sunday, it was our anniversary. Reed and I have a history with crossword puzzles (aka I'm obsessed with them), so he made me a giant crossword puzzle with clues having to do with memories from our relationship. Cal insisted on doing it, too, so Reed printed out a second one, and the two of us worked on it side by side.

 My wonderful visiting teachers brought us pizza and dessert to celebrate!

 And of course, Reed had a bouquet of lilies waiting for me. I just love him so much. He is so wonderful to me, and a fantastic father to our son. He works so hard to make our family's life comfortable, happy, and pleasant, and is always looking for ways to help me feel great. It's been a wonderful 6 years (for me, at least!).

It was a fantastic weekend. I'm grateful to feel so loved every day, not just my birthday and anniversary. I live such a happy, blessed life!

Weekend in Monterey

Remember how I said that there are endless places to explore in the Bay Area? Well, that saying was proven true yet again when I look a weekend trip to the Monterey Peninsula to explore. I had been down to the aquarium before, but it had been a while since I'd seen anything of the peninsula outside Cannery Row or my writers' conference at Asilomar.

The trip was short--just one night--but it was awesome. I hit the Gilroy outlets on the drive down the 101, and continued on my way with several bags in tow, which always makes me a little giddy. Dinner was at a hip Italian Place in Pacific Grove...

...which was quickly followed by a trip to Cannery Row for a Ghirardelli's Sundae!

We got two, of course: one carmel, and one chocolate. It wasn't gluttony, just necessity.

  

Cannery Row is fun at night, filled with twinkling little eclectic shops tucked in among stands of postcards and tourist keychains. I liked this particular place, decorated with Eastern-style lamps and home goods:

Thanks to air B&B, I had a comfy bed waiting for me in Seaside, complete with squawking chickens who got up much too early! :)

For breakfast, I drove down to Carmel and ate at Katy's Place, a quaint, cramped restaurant famous for its eggs Benedict. 

As delicious as they looked and smelled, very little can tempt me to forgo oatmeal in the morning, since I am an 80-year-old in disguise. (I got a taste of their famous eggs, don't worry!)

The walk down to the beach was delightful, passing all the boutiques and art galleries that give Carmel its posh feel. What a fun place to window shop and people watch. (And dog spot!)

The weather was typical Northern California perfect as I strolled up the sand toward Pebble Beach. 

I apparently had not had my fill of the coastline, because hiking at Point Lobos came next. Look me in the eyes and tell me this isn't exactly what you picture when you think about the Northern California coastline:

Historically, Point Lobos was an annual home of Portuguese whalers that hunted Grey whales December through May. I loved being able to stop in the little whaling museum to read all about the history. It makes me feel connected to a vast matrix of time and people, grounded in my area.

With my legs thoroughly worn out, it was time for a car ride, and the 17-mile-drive fit the bill exactly. All the stops along the way were beautiful: Pebble Beach Golf course...

...where I saw an otter in the wild!

He's the tiny speck just above the wave crest line:

The lone cypress, picturesque in its rocky isolation:

And of course, this uneasy warning sign at "The Restless Sea" lookout:

I returned home to Cupertino tired, sun-kissed, and revitalized.

You know, at first, I had sort of a bad attitude about living in the Bay Area. I missed my friends and family in Utah, and I missed how comfortable I was there. There are many adjustments to be made when one moves, and I felt like moving to the SF area had a lot more changes than normal. I'm still getting over the sticker shock out here; everything is just so expensive. Buying a house seemed like an impossibility, the streets were always crowded with people and traffic, I didn't have a network of people built up around me who made NorCal feel like home.

I am happily realizing that my attitudes have changed and are continually changing with regard to where we now live (and it's only taken 3 years...way to go, self).  Exploring the area has made me more aware and appreciative of the beauty and diversity at my fingertips. Wonderful and welcoming friends have rooted me to a community of sisters and families. This place that once felt like an old, sprawling, expensive city of strangers, is morphing into an area where my friends are, where beautiful things live, where my family has a future, where I am home.