Carmel

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Celebrating Mike’s Birthday: A Cozy Getaway in Carmel

We celebrated Mike’s birthday with a brief, mid-week holiday to Monterey and Carmel.

A man smiling while standing on a wooden deck by the shore, with rocky coastline and blue ocean in the background under a clear sky.
Mike near Canary Row

Leaving daily life behind for Carmel’s cool, coastal weather and quiet streets felt restorative.

Carmel, California, is a quiet, quaint oceanside town that’s worked hard to keep things that way, and who could blame them?

We had brunch at The Village Corner when we first arrived, and when they brought our bill, it was slipped into a paperback book rather than the usual vinyl folder. Enlarged black-and-white photos of famous people who live or lived in Carmel decorated the walls. Pulitzer Prize winner John Steinbeck is perhaps the most famous.

After brunch, we continued to the center of town and browsed shops and scouted places for dinner. Narrow alleyways and equally narrow stairways are prominent, adding charm to our meandering.

We had a fabulous meal on our first night at Pepi’s Little Napoli Bistro Italiano. The cozy ambiance felt like a warm hug with great service and tasty food. Instead of a large meal, we ordered four dishes to share. I should have skipped dessert, but where is the fun in that? At least we had a twenty-minute walk back to our hotel.

Carmel doesn’t have street lights at night, which proved a bit challenging as we traveled back up the gentle hill to our accommodations.  I wore low-heeled shoes, but heels nonetheless, since we were dressing for dinner. We traversed brick sidewalks, sandy step-downs, and in some places, no walkway at all. Mike was at my side and steadied me a few times, but it was the ultimate test of my new hips. It is fair to say they passed.

The following day, we drove to Cannery Row, immortalized by John Steinbeck in 1945. It wasn’t as I remembered from many years ago, and it is now a bit cheesy, though facades of many buildings still remain. We hung out on the beach at the base of a hotel and took in the vast view of the bay.

Since we were on holiday, we enjoyed ice cream for lunch on the patio at Ghirardelli Chocolate, then took the scenic drive along the Monterey coast. McAbee Beach and Pacific Grove Beach are pictured below

I found a nice linen shirt for Mike’s birthday, and I picked up a small selection of postcards at my favorite pharmacy. We laughed out loud at a display of muslin tea-towels on the back patio of a small shop called Ami Carmel. I quipped to the shop owner that she could charge admission. I bought my son, who is setting up house, the one that says “Stove is for display purposes only.”

A decorative display featuring a sign that says 'STOVE FOR DISPLAY ONLY.' Below it, there is a humorous quote about coffee and wine, emphasizing their importance in life.
Witty tea towels

Highlights included time spent reading and putting our feet up by the gas fireplace, afternoon naps, and snacking from the bag of taffy we picked up at the old-fashioned candy store.

A quaint storefront with a moss-covered, thatched roof, featuring a window display filled with sweets and colorful flowers. The entrance shows a glimpse of a cozy interior, surrounded by greenery and stone pathways.
Cottage of Sweets

Then, just like that, it was time to drive home as we considered our next getaway together.

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Loving Our Planet

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

~Native Proverb

I’ve always liked this quote, and as we honor Earth Day, it continues to resonate. 

I’m grateful to live in a state with strong environmental laws, beautiful lakes and streams, access to clean drinking water, and a commitment to combating the climate crisis. I hope we’re not too late.

A serene stream flowing through rocky terrain, surrounded by trees and sparse vegetation.
Alum Rock Park, San Jose
A coastal view framed by tree branches, showcasing waves crashing on the shore under overcast skies.
Carmel by the Sea, Carmel
A woman wearing a gray sweater and blue jeans stands on a sandy beach with a seal resting in the background, overlooking a serene ocean view.
Año Nuevo State Park, Elephant Seal in background
Scenic view of a suburban area with palm trees, greenery, and cloudy skies in the background.
View of Silicon Valley from Harwood Hill, San Jose
A serene garden landscape featuring well-manicured lawns, a reflecting pond, and neatly trimmed hedges. In the background, hills are visible under a clear blue sky, with a prominent yellow tree adding a splash of color.
Filoli National Trust, Woodside
A group of sea lions resting on wooden docks above green water.
Beneath the Santa Cruz Wharf
Sea Lions
Three horses grazing in a lush green field with rolling hills in the background under a cloudy sky.
Open Space, San Jose Foothills
A close-up of green and yellow flowering plants among various types of lush foliage in a garden setting, featuring distinct succulents and vibrant orange flowers.
My Humble Garden

“The earth is what we all have in common.” — Wendell Berry

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A Journey Back to Blogging

I’ll write a blog post tomorrow, I thought, and then, and then, and then. Tomorrow becomes next week, then a month, while life serves up challenges big and small.

I miss blogging. My time on WordPress has yielded wonderful friendships, rich connections, and thoughtful and thought-provoking conversations. How could I be away for so long? In short, life is full.

My youngest son went away to college in August. This included helping him get ready, attempts at helping him get ready, a one-fell-swoop shopping trip and a day-long drive to Southern California.  Within a few weeks my oldest son went back to the dorms, and is now into his senior college year.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary (23 years on September 23rd)

after dinner Santana Row

After dinner at Santana Row

and ten days later I turned 59. Dear friends visited from Canada over my birthday week, including a few days in beautiful Carmel.

An alleyway in Carmel
Posing for selfies near Pebble Beach
The soothing fountain at our hotel
Pebble Beach golf links
17-Mile Drive stop
On the beach
Seagulls
With my BFF

My volunteer work at Lifted Spirits kicked into full gear. If I wasn’t working with organizing clients, I spent time volunteering in the boutique. I work two shifts a week, and I’m often there on Thursdays organizing the boutique or other areas of the program. It feels like home.  The work is challenging and rewarding. It also allows me to serve women in need in my  community. I’m learning so much as I go. My favorite organizing project so far is the computer lab. We needed extra space for other programs, so I split the room in two using an abandoned old chalkboard and a fancy shower curtain found in a drawer. How’s that for using what you’ve got?

Reorganized stationary cabinet
Computer lab and food delivery
I split this room in two using an old chalkboard and a fancy, donated shower curtain
Food donations, computer lab
I devised a sorting system for donated bras
Donated bras, color-coded for easy reach
Color-coded labels for donated bras
Lifted Spirits boutique (a table runner and a few small bins added some style)
Lifted Spirits boutique: color coded hangers including pink for plus-sizes, blue for dresses and white for the rest

Mike and I are enjoying our evenings and weekends as a couple once again. In many ways, the empty-nest blahs seemed worse leading up to the boys respective departures. It eased once I knew my young men were and getting on with life.

This past weekend we planned to fly down to see our youngest son for parent weekend. I ended up going alone. I took Mike to urgent care the night before, where they referred us to the ER. They diagnosed Mike with a blood clot or Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). It was a long, scary night, but he’s home and receiving good medical care. He’s not allowed to fly for at least three months so we’re adjusting to the idea of possible train travel.  Mike’s not in pain and he’s able to work, so those are both a plus.

Our felines continue to cozy up the place. As the weather cools into a California autumn, I hope to haul out my crochet once again.

Tessa, my snuggle bug
Mouse keeps the puzzle warm
Tessa’s turn with the puzzle
Lindy, Mouse and Tessa soaking up some sun, embroidered pillow by Marlene H.

Meanwhile, I’m on the committee for our Front Door Communities, Lifted Spirits fundraiser in early November. I’m putting together the program, a soup recipe book, preparing a raffle item and working with another volunteer assembling silent auction items.  It’s a busy time.

Oh, and the garden I used to blog about? It’s still here. The tomatoes were a complete bust this summer, with four huge plants producing about two dozen tomatoes in all.  I planted late-season cantaloupe, only to see them munched under cover of darkness.  I did manage five small pumpkins so all is not lost in the produce department. Overall though, I feel like I lost my gardening mojo. As that tired cliché goes, there’s always next year.

Not bountiful, but definitely delicious
All the pumpkins ripened in August
Succulents along the deck and walkway
An upside down praying mantis in the Scabiosa
On the deck

Here in the States we’re gearing up for mid-term elections in three weeks. Once again our garage will serve as a polling place. Change is in the air. I can feel it.

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you are doing well.