these days of leiderhosen

Once upon a time there was an incredibly spoilt and beautiful young man I was madly in love with for the last few years of high school and all of college. After four years it all ended very, very badly. Although I had moved to a wet and depressing state with no friends to speak of, he'd stumble into my developing adult life on occasion. We'd either neck madly (he was very good at that; is there anything more delicious?) or I'd be rude and refuse to lend him the tools to fix his skateboard. Years stretched on. As people with volcanic chemistry mixed with some very harsh feelings, we deliberately kept out of touch. God, moonlighting as a situation comedy writer, then pulled a fast one. This fool and I met up again in the most unlikely and awkward circumstances (he was the person ahead of me in the unemployment line). After chatting about nothing he ended the conversation with an eye opening strange comment that took me off guard, successfully closing an absurd situation by...

Well, that was a full-on glorious day.We drove North an hour of sexy curvy roads to Mendocino. (photos will follow; it is impossible to describe the cliffs or the great bookstore.) There was some pretty serious pie for breakfast: Cinnamon apple and maple pumpkin (we had to toss a slice of rubber cheesecake). Excellent pie but these might actually be Crisco crust peoples. The Steven, when pressed, would fess up that living in Mendocino might not be a horrible way to spend the rest of one's life, even if that meant that he'd have to establish his own Zen Center : The Mendo Zendo. And if Japanese sword classes were taught it'd be the Kendo Mendo Zendo. But that's just some pretty silly territory we are hustling over. Oh, and you silly, blogless but so classy New York Girl? I have gone over to the other side and now own a tube of hemp lip balm (mint flavored and has SPF). The dreds should be appearing any day now. You can keep that tube of Beige de Chanel. I could never ge...

Fantastic sunrise: an orange and violet affair, with some yellow thrown in over a glossy charcoal ocean. All this wet salty beauty can leave me with breathless for great appreciation in the Divine or the Creator or the AlmightyWhatnot. Apparently the resident Buddhist is unburdened by this line of thinking. Good thing he appreciates pie and seal spotting. Back to bed. lalalalalalala .

Farberware no-sharpen knives. Pre-grooved and unsharpenable for my displeasure. Don't get me wrong: Farbarware's non-stick is brilliant and well priced enough to change it out every year. But, MAN, these knives are bad. Not just bad, but dangerous. I've use Ginsus better than these. A whole knife block full of crap. This is the last time I travel without my good knives.

It's been rainy stormy, gusty, bright and shining all within the last half hour. Splendid. We went North along the coves this morning looking for seals and saw the following: Three seals body surfing, one sunning. All seals are named Earl, BTW. Lots of deer (M, F and babies) Three wild turkeys (2 F and 1 M); all had these very strange grey feather tassles from their chests Countless other birds, including a raptor flying off with a rather large rodent in it's talons. I like the sandpipers the best (cue Benny Hill music). Tuesday was a great tidepooling day the motherload of celadon colored sea anemones, from very small to the size of a dinner plate. two glorious seaslugs that looks like outrageously beautiful christmas wrapping A few purple spiny sea urchins (The Steven had to be reminded that this is his least favorite sushi.) Starfish: orange and red and two purple a few crabs and a few other lovelies (this is from just one set of tidepools) In the evening our walk was south...

...and I really needed a cookie. The chocolate covered peppermint jojos have that effect. Merry Solstice, Everyone. (From here on, the days get longer.) I am so grateful to everyone who stops by, but especially you. Bless. The rain has started to beat in earnest again against the roof and it is so perfectly black out that I am going back to bed to enjoy both in sluggly comfort. So wonderful. Spun this week: moss, unknown green, blackthorn (in process), bruise, agean.

The Steven and I are holed up in the most exquisite little house; the top floor is almost entirely window, overlooking a shallow valley and southward down the coast. Horizon, mountain, cliffs and surf are all visible. The lower level is cave-like and cosy bedrooms with an enclosed patio surrounded by cypress. I've spent hours at the window spinning and watching seabirds cruise the updrafts. A huge herd of deer proinked through the yarn yesterday. At the moment, it is very stormy and last night I listened to the wind in the trees.