a change in perspective

In 200 AD or close to 1800 years ago, a cone germinated somewhere in North America. Even before this continent was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Even before this great nation was born.

The cone grew to its full height by 1,000 AD and continues to thrive today, 2009 AD

My family and I stood before this awesome tree not a few weeks back. We were humbled, to say the least.

We were happy that the tree was healthy and still growing, and will live up to about 1,000 more years--- 3009 AD!

We were amazed that it has witnessed earthquakes, fires and other events, and was still standing its ground.

We were intrigued with this living, breathing tree that existed in a world we can only read about today. And, will continue to exist beyond our lifetime.

If only it can share what it has witnessed.

We left with a challenge to take care not just of this tree, but also the environment that we live in. It sure changes one's perspective on life on our blue planet.

more of our Summer Adventures!

oysters and the art of war

Into my third oyster during a trip to a farm in Tomales Bay, I contemplated the similarities between shucking oysters and the art of (love and) war.

The old adage that there are a lot of oysters (and fish) out in the ocean is quite true.



There is a wide selection of oysters to choose from. Select wisely. Know what you want before you make your choice.



The easiest way to win this war is to have the menfolk in your family do all the work.

Hello, Mr. D...

They take their battles seriously. Especially when they are outfitted in their Oakleys.

Pick one that suits your requirements. Then, study it well. I meant the oysters.



Learn about its strengths and weaknesses. Find its weakest spot. Still talking about oysters.

Rely on what warriors before us have done. They have already figured out that having a sharp sturdy weapon helps your objectives. And, in our case, it would be an oyster shucker.



Once you've found its weak spot, follow through with your attack until the opponent is defenseless. Persistence is key.

At this point, victory is yours for the taking.



And, as you can see, we had many a victory.


With a little vinegar + red onions + secret spices + cilantro.

Winning has never been so sweet and (ful)filling.

recent posts:

oxbow public market

for love of the game

11 blogs we love

Of course, there's this blog about family life in a small Northern California city [blatant self-promotion alert]...

beingLease

seriously, here goes...[in random order]

1. unclutterer

For pack rats like me. teaches you how to slowly give it all up for a simpler, clutter-free existence.

2. zen habits

Simple, straight to the point posts about simplifying your life. and, achieving your goals. and, motivating yourself. you get the picture.

3. thepioneerwoman

Ree takes you to another world. so funny and sweet.

4. the happiness project

Nice articles on finding and defining true happiness.

5. wisebread

Tips for living frugally. very relevant for today's economy.

6. swish and swanky

Design blog. Also, about her life as a designer in Australia.

7. bakerella

Cake pops! her attention to detail is simply astounding. true works of art you don't want to eat.

8. flylady

Her cleaning guides rock. gives a method to control the madness, er, chaos in your life.

9. the martha stewart blog

I don't need to say anything more. the gold standard.

10. the sunset blogs

We love Sunset magazine. We love their blogs, too.

11. serious eats

What can we say, we love good food, and we love blogs that talk about seriously good food.








Take a peek at -

our Yosemite adventures!

our recent food trips

our recent road trips

Oh, deer! Oh, bear!

A trip to Yosemite would not be complete without wild animal sightings.

We saw this deer walking from the Cottages at Tenaya Lodge.



He was probably going for breakfast at the Sierra Restaurant.



He gave us a brief nod and went on his way to get pancakes, eggs and bacon.

Then, an hour later while waiting for our tram (for the 2-hour valley tour), we chanced upon this squirrel, who was staying at the Yosemite Lodge.



He probably did not opt for breakfast at the Lodge, and was exploring other alternatives.



But, nothing beats the surprise appearance of a baby (yearling) black bear.




I apologize for the picture. I did not have the courage to get closer and I did not have a telephoto lens with me.



So near, and yet so far.

Soaking up the sights,

More on Yosemite

UK budget travel: Bath

So many places to see in England! We visited London and the Stonehenge.

Another interesting location was Bath, England, which is where the Romans chillaxed in between conquests...(of course, it must have not looked this nice back then...who knows?)



You could see coins tossed into the pools from when they first started minting coins on planet earth... They asked that we not touch the water (it was unfiltered) and guess what...I touched it.



I did not travel all those miles just to look...




The townhouses (promenade) in the city of Bath were also a sight to behold. Made from local stone, the structures had this creamy ivory cast to it, and were very well maintained. There was a rotunda with a whole line of picturesque townhouses...I could imagine living there... but only with Mr. Darcy, of course.

(photo courtesy of fashion-era.com)

You could make a trip like this happen!
Here are some tips:

Planning:

1. Define what you want.

2. Scour the internet for deals.

3. Identify 1-3 key places of interest you would really like to visit and work around those.

4. Set a budget for the entire trip, and stick to it.

5. Be prepared to pounce when you find a really great deal!

At your destination:

1. Take advantage of the free breakfast from the hotel before heading out for the day.

2. Want to catch a show? purchase tickets 50% off the same day.

3. Buy 7-day underground passes. Walk instead of taking a cab.

4. Plan your purchases.

What are you waiting for? book the trip today!

Lease

Gialina's

*Guest post by the wonderful F
[No, her name is not Fiona, and she is not an ogre from Shrek, or any other Far Far Away place]

Before we move on to her post, I want everyone to know that we go way back. Way way back. Even before bright colors and LA gear hi-tops became popular. Back in the day...

______

Upon encouragement from Lease, I am (finally) contributing to the wonderful world of blogging. I have been put in charge of articles on, what else, food. I do not consider myself a foodie. I actually cringe at the term. All I can say is… I like GOOD food. All kinds. I patronize hole-in-the-wall restaurants to ones with prestigious ratings. I also know my way around the kitchen.

To debut my assignment, I decided to share with you my Top 3 pizzerias to-date. Here is the first one:

Gialina in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco is tops for Neapolitan-style pizza. Their thin, perfectly crunchy crust with simple toppings, no more than 4 or 5, is just heavenly. My default pizza has wild nettles, pancetta, mushrooms, red onions and provolone – a lovely play of salty, sweet and touch of bitterness. And then there’s the decadent little number with potatoes, applewood smoked bacon, red onions, gorgonzola and rosemary. No need for description there.

I have to sneak a mention of their meatball appetizer. We save the sauce and dunk our crusts in it… heck, I’d probably lick the dish if it didn’t offend other patrons. They also have a small wine list comprised of California and Italian varieties. I am usually too stuffed to even think about dessert after gobbling up a whole pizza but I have tried their Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Pizza (with 3 other people at our table, one being the owner of this blog site). It’s simply their pizza crust with nutella spread and dollops of mascarpone cheese. Nothing fancy but everything that is delicious.

The place is a neighborhood favorite and most patrons are families with children so it’s not surprising that if you come after 8pm, it is easier to get a table. Dinner only, no resies.

Cheers,
F

11 things about F

2 new things in this blogging world!

Once a week, I will be publishing 11 things about a chosen topic (person, place, or event). So, stay tuned! This post is the first of the 11 things series.

Also, my BF F will be guest posting about her favorite restaurants. I have always appreciated her expertise in life and food, and I am most eager to learn about places she's been to and share those with you!

***

1. I've known F since we were little girls in line for first communion. She was (is) the popular kid, and I was (still am) the dorky shy one.

2. Everyone had a crush on F. Even my neighbor, who did not even go to the same school, was a victim. She has this thing for men, whose names start with "D"

3. She moved to this continent in the late '80s, but kept in touch. She never forgets birthdays and special occasions.

4. She re-introduced me to my hubby. Long story. Earned her a coveted spot on the wedding entourage. She traveled 7,000 miles to attend the ceremony.

5. When I moved to this continent in the late 90's, F was the first person to take me to town. Stanford Mall, baby!

6. We always joke about how increasingly complex our lives have become, and how simple it was back in the day. From what's on sale at National Bookstore to discovering Esprit. To boyfriends, marriage, and life in general.

7. We rarely see each other, and yet we can easily take up from where we left off and talk endlessly about people and things. Or, just listen to the other person's heartaches without judgment.

8. She knows my deepest darkest secrets, and there are a lot of days when I feel that she knows me better than I know myself. Says it like it is. Truly.

9. Awesome fashionista. Always in very well coordinated ensembles. Shoes and purses, included.

10. She always gets gigs at my favorite stores. We always benefit from those gigs.

11. We've come a long way, F! You're the bestest-essessest friend a girl can have.

We look forward to your foodie posts!

Lease

Take a peek at -

our Yosemite adventures!
our recent food trips
our recent road trips

gentle giants

Ever encounter something so atypical that you had to do a double-take?

This sign does not really prepare you for what you are about to see.

Afterall, the word 'giant' is, um...relative. What may be big for someone may not be your idea of big, right?

I will argue that, in this case, it is highly probable that anyone who has seen the giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove will agree that the trees are indeed 'giants' in the true sense of the word.

See those cars? Those are parked right behind the tree. Yes, the tree is really that big.

Gives you a new perspective on life on our blue planet. Makes you see the world differently. For a while there, I had this feeling that this is what it probably looked like during the time of the dinosaurs. Very Jurassic.

Happy. Amazed. Humbled. Touched. Protective.

These are just a few of the thoughts and emotions that raced through my system as I caught sight of these gentle giants.

You just wanted to make sure that these trees live on for the next 1000 years for your great-great-great grandchildren and their great-great-great grandchildren ad infinitum.

You'll never look at a tree in the same way.

Lease

More on Yosemite

el capitan

This is the view that welcomes you as you get closer to the valley at Yosemite Park in California. It seems unchanged by the passage of time.

El Capitan on the left side, the Half Dome on the middle part, and the Three Brothers on the right side of the picture.

Breathtaking!


This is El Capitan up close.

My eyes watered as I remembered the scene from the movie UP!

Remember that ridge the main characters wanted to visit? That ridge!

(photo: courtesy of Pixar)

El Capitan!

My eyes were welling up, and close to brimming over. OK, maybe a tear or two (or three) escaped. Sorry, okay? I couldn't help it.


All the emotions from the movie, and being so close to El Capitan, were front and center. If you've seen the movie, you know why. If you haven't, you need to see it and then come back to this page.

Hubby was looking over at me with an "are you crying again?" kind of look.

I looked away, trying not to let him see.

Then, hubby said, "Um...Lease... that ridge was in... South America."

Whatever, my love. Whatever.

Lease

More on Yosemite

cowboy food!

A summer outing will not be complete without a BBQ.
An outing to Yosemite will not be complete without a BBQ - cowboy style! Whatever that means.



Beef, Chicken or Chops? Hamburgers or hotdogs?

Of course, we had to have the NY strip steak. A meal is not a meal without steak (for our family).

Did I mention the corn salsa and beans? Need a scoop or two of those as well.

Nothing like steak fresh off the grill.

Nom...Nom...Nom...

Lease

More on Yosemite

Recent posts:

oxbow public market

for love of the game

little house on the prairie

It's final. We've made our decision.
Were moving from our neck of the woods to a new place.
A quiet, more peaceful existence.
Where the deer and antelope play.
We've picked out the spot where we will be building our small cabin.

You can say we are going back to basics. Back to the fundamentals.
Letting go of the trappings of this fast-paced rat pinwheel that we are on.
Away from the constant spinning. Away from the maddening crowd.

And, take a look at our view. Oh, what a view!
To wake up to this, each and every morning for the rest of our lives.
Pure heaven on earth.
I cannot think of anything else!



We will have a small creek, where we can wash dishes, and collect water for daily use.

See that? The water is so clear.



The kids have enough space to roam and play, and just soak up the sun whenever they want to. School, you ask? We've also decided to home school. With mother nature by our side, we can do no wrong, don't you think?



We won't need cable or the internet. The world is our oyster! It is ours for the taking!



It won't matter that 4.2 million people will be visiting our little cabin every year. We won't mind if they want to take pictures of our little house.

We'll just have to deal with the Park Rangers, and we'll cross the bridge when we get there.

In the meantime, we putting our stake on the ground, and claiming this piece of land in the middle of Yosemite National Park our own.

So, there.

Or, not.

I think I left a piece of my heart somewhere in Yosemite. And, I haven't even told you about the giant sequoia trees that blew me away I had to recoil each time I saw one.

more to come...

trying to absorb the immensity of the experience,
Lease

Take a peek at -

recent food trips
recent road trips
our website