Friends

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Filoli Fright Night: Searching for Trolls

A wooden troll sculpture holding a flag, set in a garden during twilight with trees in the background.

Events at Filoli sell out quickly, so I was thrilled to get tickets for five of us to attend the second-annual Filoli Fright Night. We knew it would be fun, as all their events are, but it was full of surprises that exceeded our expectations.

The evening included a first-floor tour of the house, done up to the nines with Halloween-themed rooms.

A warm, inviting scene featuring several black lanterns with glowing yellow lights placed along stone steps, surrounded by lush greenery and illuminated by soft lighting.

The library featured flying book pages and an owl made from paper feathers, along with the usual, beautiful decor.

Interior of a library with shelves of books, featuring a centerpiece of flying paper pages and a portrait on the wall.
A small mouse in a witch's hat stands at a tiny table with a miniature birdhouse, placed on top of books by Edgar Allan Poe.

The dining room, set for fictional guests, was more warm and cozy than spooky, with gorgeous table settings and an over-the-top dried floral arrangement at the table’s center.

A beautifully set dining table adorned with elegant tableware, tall floral arrangements, and multiple candles, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for a festive gathering.

As you entered the kitchen, a counter displayed three cakes: a black-iced tower with a replica of a beating heart, a wedding-style white cake that would make your hair stand on end, and a third confection, lost to memory, but equally impressive.

A kitchen counter adorned with various cakes and desserts, including a tall black-iced cake shaped like a heart, surrounded by decorative candles and intricate plates.
A dimly lit kitchen with green lighting, featuring a variety of jars, herbs, and candles on a table, along with Halloween-themed decorations and carved pumpkins displayed on shelves.

I shared space with a skeleton in the foliage drying room, then wandered over to the great hall.

A skeleton wearing an apron stands next to a wooden chair, surrounded by an array of dried plants and herbs, all illuminated with a green light.
A beautifully decorated fireplace featuring Halloween-themed decor, including purple lighting, black crows, and ghostly figures, surrounded by dried branches and flowers.

The lights in each room set the mood in shades of purple or green. The house is extraordinary, even when it’s not Halloween.

Interior of a Halloween-themed room at Filoli featuring a large decorative birdcage with artificial crows, surrounded by various plants and purple lighting.

We finished the house tour, then exited toward the gardens, strolling by the reflecting pool and then onto the grounds.

A beautifully illuminated garden at night, featuring colorful lights surrounding a reflecting pool and various plants.

A bluegrass band played in the center of the crowd, with several guests sitting around small fires. Fields of carved pumpkins lead us to the gate, and we set off to look for the wooden trolls.

A nighttime scene featuring a pumpkin patch with illuminated carved pumpkins scattered among hay bales, and guests exploring the area.

We managed to find five of the six trolls, not because they’re small, but because it was dark with curving trails, eerie sound effects, and darkness. No sane person would step off the lighted trail.

While searching for the trolls created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, we came across a “crowd” of pumpkin-headed scarecrows. At first, and from a distance, we thought they were parking attendants in the far-off lot. Boy, were we wrong.

After an hour or so, we stopped along the trail for hot cocoa and hot cider. We spotted another troll, then proceeded along the trail to discover a glow-in-the-dark, banana slug art installation, yet another surprise of the night.

A nighttime view of a glowing art installation featuring numerous large banana slug sculptures illuminated in bright green, amidst purple lighting and trees in the background.

We posed for and took lots of pics before eventually heading back toward the house. I can’t wait to see what they create next year.

The Trolls: 

The artist behind the Filoli trolls is Thomas Dambo, a Danish artist known for creating giant troll sculptures from recycled materials. The current exhibition at Filoli, “Trolls: Save the Humans,” features six larger-than-life trolls. Source: Filoli

Here’s a bit about Filoli:

Filoli is a 654-acre historic estate in Woodside, California, featuring a large Georgian-style mansion, 16 acres of formal gardens, and hundreds of acres of natural lands. It was originally a private residence built by the Bourn family, who named it after their motto: Fight for a just cause, Love your fellow man, Live a good life. Today, it is a non-profit public attraction managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offering tours, seasonal events, and educational programs. Source: Filoli

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When The Stars Align: From Chennai to LA

Nandini at one of the Pretzel Logic company picnics

The most extraordinary thing happened last weekend, but first, a bit of history.

I worked at a small start-up called Pretzel Logic Software nearly thirty years ago. When I joined, it was a company of male engineers and founders. I was the first woman hired full-time to handle the growing company’s administrative duties. I learned after joining that a woman came in on the weekend to manage the accounting, but she worked Saturday, so time went by before we met. 

Nandini and I eventually met one Saturday, and we connected immediately. We quietly revealed to one another that we were pregnant with our first child. Fast forward to the birth of our sons, Anand and Chris, who were born just six weeks apart.

Out of the workforce and searching for our footing as new mothers, we met once a week with the boys, first at Nandini’s place and later at ours. We had park dates and trips to the pumpkin patch, and in the winter, we hung out at an indoor playground called Bamboolas, where the boys could play, and we could chat, knowing they couldn’t run off. As they got older we went to Ardenwood Historic Farms for hay rides, we road the Roaring Camp railroad steam train through the redwoods, and we enrolled them in a Music Together program. I’ve stockpiled so many memories of those early years.

I was heartbroken when they needed to move back to India to support their family. Our boys were still in pre-school. Anand and Chris turn 28 this year. 

I’ve stayed in touch with Nandini through long-distance phone calls and emails and later through the much-improved live chats. The 13.5-hour time change makes it challenging, but we work it out.

Anand returned to the US to study and work. He met and married a lovely woman in February of this year. She’s a medical student at UCLA. They wed in Chennai and returned to LA for work and school, but the bride’s family wanted a reception in the US for extended family and friends. And that is how we get from Chennai to LA. 

Imagine my delight when I learned Nandini would be in California for a few weeks, I made a plan. Chris, my husband Mike, and I would fly to LA. My youngest son, Mac, lives just an hour’s drive away in Orange County so he could easily join us as well.

I flew down early Friday so Nandini and I could spend an entire day together. We hugged, laughed, talked endlessly about everything, held hands, and wished it wouldn’t end. We walked around an open-air shopping center, had lunch, walked some more, and later had tea, one of our long-held traditions. It was an extraordinary day.

On Saturday, both families met for lunch in West Hollywood at a fabulous vegan Mexican restaurant called Gracias Madre. We posed for photos, walked to the corner for ice cream, then visited the newlyweds home before we eventually had to part company for our flight home. Our friends returned to India earlier this week.

West Hollywood

Friendships can ebb and flow. Sometimes, you lose touch, or you grow apart. It’s been a joy staying connected to Nandini all these years, overcoming distance and time zones to keep the friendhsip alive.

I’m still on a cloud from the weekend and grateful that the stars aligned to make it possible.

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A Stitch in Time

Do you know the expression, “A stitch in time saves nine?” It’s a sewing metaphor, admonishing that if you don’t fix it now, you’ll have even more work down the line.

That’s no fun.

Instead I’m going with “A stitch in time is fine”…and lovely, and extraordinary and appreciated beyond measure. (Oh no, another sewing metaphor).

Check out  the lovely stitches from my dear friends Marlene and Marcia.

Marlene loves to sew and quilt. She’s also a master of machine embroidery. Look at this gorgeous piece.

Marlene's embroidery books and flowers

Embroidered Panel

I dropped a metaphorical stitch when I unwrapped it. Isn’t it lovely? She’s captured my passion for gardening and books, my love of color and flower-arranging and wrapped it all up with beautifully blended threads and the perfect quote:

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

I would add that if you have friends like Marlene, you are lucky indeed.

Marlene shares her generous talents far and wide. She quilts for a cause, makes beautiful gifts for friends and writes warm, caring and thoughtful comments throughout the blogosphere. If you haven’t had the pleasure, you can find her at In Search of it All.

This beautiful tea towel is also a gift from Marlene. When I was a girl, personalized items were all the rage, but I could never find anything with the name Alys. I still get a little boost from seeing my name embroidered on this towel.

Marlene's embroidery Alys' kitchen

Embroidered Tea Towel

This whimsical linen calendar is a gift from my friend, Marcia. We met over thirty years ago when we worked together in a costume shop in Santa Rosa. Marcia is a skilled pattern maker and a wonderful seamstress. Like Marlene, her hands are always busy sewing and crocheting lovely gifts. Last year she sent a hand-made apron, wrapped in a fabric remnant.

The linen calendar came wrapped in a pattern piece. Cool, eh?  She finished the top of the calendar  with seam-binding to allow for a dowel. The edges are a pretty zig-zag pattern. Again, all my favorite colors and themes: watering cans, flowers, birds and cats and the wonderful color palette.

The calendar is hanging in our guest room and it looks right at home.

All three of these pieces inspire me, and make me realize how much I miss sewing.

I’m going to turn Marlene’s embroidery into a cushion cover now, and will do the same with Marcia’s calendar when the year is over.

How about you? Have friends inspired you to creativity this year?

 

Marcia's calendar

Linen Calendar

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Celebrations: Anniversaries, Birthdays and Boomdee Comes to Town

Life is full!

Mike and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary September 23rd.

20th anniversary collage

Celebrating at Santana Row

Then Boomdee (aka Kelly or Petals) came to town.

together at redemption

My favorite photo of our week together

I had a birthday…

Birthday collage 2015

Cards from dear friends are the best part of any birthday

Then hosted a gathering of friends.

gathering of friends 2015

Good friends gathered around the table

I ate too much cake and homemade flan but enjoyed every morsel. By the way, peeking out from under the plate is one of my  gorgeous new dinner napkins also known as serviettes. Kelly meticulously hand-stenciled them as a birthday gift. Please check out Kelly’s Korner for the full reveal and tutorial. They’re stunning!

bunny's flan

Bunny’s delicious flan

We road a steam train up a steep grade through the redwood forests, traveling on a narrow-gauge railroad.

felton train collage

Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow-Gauge Railroad

We visited the historic Ainsley home in downtown Campbell.

Ainsley House Collage 2015

Ainsley House 1925 English Tudor home in Campbell, California

On Sunday we Skyped with Laurie and Pauline, covering topics both serious and mundane. It was good to catch up.

Kelly and I enjoyed full days and unscheduled nights, with time to relax, have a cup of tea or a glass of wine, and to put up our feet. What a joyful week.

In a flash, it was time to put Boomdee on a plane, as we made plans for a visit next year.

Next up: Edmonton, Alberta Canada.  If my surgery goes well I’ll have an honest to goodness bounce in my step. Planning the next visit makes the goodbyes a little easier.

Blogs Near and Dear

I’ve missed your blog and look forward to catching up with you in the next few weeks.

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When Ordinary is Extraordinary

Sleeping Fairy Baby

Sleeping Fairy Baby

There’s nothing extraordinary about gathering around the table on a Sunday afternoon. Maybe you’re eating a slice of toast or reheating your tea. It’s a cool, early spring day.

But this isn’t just any old Sunday. Gathered around the table is a group of women who’ve met through blogging. We’ve formed enduring friendships across the miles that allow us to sit comfortably in our pajamas, talking and laughing and sharing gifts. It feels as though we’ve known each other for a lifetime.

Aristotle said that “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” That’s how I felt the entire trip. Our shared energy and enthusiasm for each others lives was palpable. The ordinary seemed extraordinary.

On that same Sunday afternoon, Pauline who blogs at the Contented Crafter presented each of us with a hand-crafted, personalized glass and bead dangler. We were all ‘in the moment’ and didn’t stop of course to capture her words, but now I wish we had. Pauline gathered crystals, beads and charms then infused them with one-of-a-kind reflections of each of us. It was moving hearing her thoughts as she shared each one.

Once home, it was tricky photographing the full length of this charmer without sacrificing the detail. Instead, I’ve photographed it in sections, so you can see the charms up close. I took pictures of the dangler in my garden to maximize light, but when not on a photo shoot, it hangs in my living room window. It’s 22 inches (55cm) long.

Pauline captured my love of fairy gardening at the top. There is also a fairy baby since I enjoy nurturing the small children next door. The teapot represents sustenance (and also happens to be my beverage of choice). There’s a small clock in honor of my passion for organizing and a tiny book, celebrating our Little Free Library. There’s a cat of course, sitting on the moon. Isn’t it just like a cat to make itself at home anywhere?

There are two separate hearts, entwined to show our friendship and a third heart that says ‘Made With Love.’

I’ll say!!!

Pauline enriched the rest of the dangler with gorgeous stone, glass and crystal beads.

Here it is:

section one

Garden fairy, clock book

section two

Crystal beads in warm browns and purple hues, tea-pot and butterfly, cat on the moon

section three

Two hearts = friendship

section four

Beads, hearts and crystals

section five

Bottom half of fairy baby, butterfly and beads

DSC_0040

Part of a long strand of gorgeous beads and silver fixings

section six

Crystal globe

We’re all back home now continuing with our lives, but changed profoundly by the experience. When I see the dangler reflecting the light, I’m reminded that what makes ordinary, extraordinary is friends.

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Connections: Our Big Beautiful World

Nandini and boys

Nandini and our boys

Sunday morning I spoke with my long-time friend, Nandini via Skype. She currently lives in Chennai, India. It’s wonderful to connect.

I shared this passage on Facebook:

Nandini and I worked together at a start-up called Pretzel Logic Software in 1995. We became fast friends, then first time moms when we had our boys just six weeks apart in 1997. We supported each other through those sometimes difficult and perplexing first months of parenthood. We met weekly for tea, pushed our strollers through the park, and enjoyed time at our respective homes. It was a sad parting when she moved back to Chennai in 2000 in order to support her aging family. I’m grateful for the technology that allows us to continue our conversations, and to marvel at the fact that those baby boys will soon turn 18.

That’s when all the connections (my word of the year) started rolling in.

When you tag someone in a photo on Facebook, their friends can see it too. After several lovely comments from my local friends, Nandini’s cousin, Sujatha left a few words. When she did, it showed that we had a mutual friend named Akila. Akila’s son attended pre-school with my younger son here in California. Incredible.

Akila joined the conversation, saying she knew Nandini’s cousin as a family friend. That’s when Nandini’s friend, Parvathi posted, saying she also knows Akila. Nandini knows Parvathi because their sons are schoolmates in India.

It’s been amazing discovering these connections throughout the day. I’m humming with the joy of it.

How about you? Have you uncovered an unexpected connection between a friend or colleague? Please share your story in the comments section, below.

Any one person is connected to any other person through six or fewer relationships, because it’s a small world. SixDegrees.org is about using this idea to accomplish something good. It’s social networking with a social conscience.

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Gardening Nirvana Turns 1!

I launched gardening nirvana a year ago today.  It’s been fun! My fellow bloggers are a wonderful inspiration and through them I’ve learned a lot.

Early this year I challenged myself to post every day.  The discipline is wonderful. In addition to posting from home, I’ve posted from hotels in Las Vegas, Cupertino and Santa Monica and look forward to posting from LEGOLAND® this summer.  Wherever I go, so too goes my blog.  It feels like a good friend

Thank you for reading, for commenting and for clicking the like button.  It’s such a compliment when you share my words on Facebook or Twitter.

With appreciation,

Alys

P.S. We joined our friends Doug and Laura for a tie-dying party this afternoon.  They have an amazing garden, with unique specimens tucked into every corner of the yard.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Doug’s Garden

Flowering Cactus

Otherworldly

Doug and Laura’s Cactus Garden

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Hide and Seek in the Garden

I’m in beautiful Marina del Rey today, enjoying a long overdue catch-up with good friends. My room with a view opens up to sand, surf, seagulls, and last night, a duck next to the pool. Good times!

I plan to snap some shots of the local flora to share with all of you when I return. I love travel and time with friends as much as I love my home, my family and the felines that keep me on my toes.

Slinky and Lindy are still working out the order of dominance, hence this brief game of kitty hide and seek. I’m not privy to their private thoughts, but when I return they’ll have a story to tell, the subtext of which is “where have you been?!”

Hide and Seek