kindred spirits

this post is dedicated to our friend renee, who loved to travel (vicariously) with me on my adventures. i loved her company and she'll be dearly missed. she'll be leaving this world soon as this life as she knows it is coming to an end. bless her beautiful heart. safe journey my angel kindred friend.

i invited my eldest daughter to come with me on saturday, up to the small town of arroyo grande. there was someone i was hoping to meet at a special antique sale & book signing.

here we are, at branchs farm, i am sure the weather couldn't have been more beautiful, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, people were smiling...

we looked around, me enjoying more the scenery than anything else. after our recent rains the hills and fields were green and lush, spring feels like it's arrived...

this pile of books represents heaven to me. this is why i came almost two hours (although i would have come four, to meet this kindred spirit, author and illustrator...

Sharon Lovejoy!

what a thrill for me to meet her and her husband, that's Jeff standing behind her. I've been collecting and reading Sharon's books for 19 years now. that's when her first book, Sunflower Houses:Inspiration from the Garden first came out. She's recently released her seventh book, Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars. another gem i treasure.

there is no one that's inspired me more in gardening and watercolors, except my own granma rose. and i am so happy to say that she was even more charming in person and i didn't think that was possible if you know her books. this was one of those days that i'll never ever forget.

thank you sharon, i can't wait to meet again someday! until then i know we'll stay in touch via blogging, if you'd like to visit her go here. (see my new scarf?, finished, well, it still needs blocking!)

susan branch was there too, and many of her books and patterns, stencils and calendars. i met her also and although she was lovely as well, it was brief, there was a long line!

we'll leave the farm now and go explore the town of arroyo grande...

we stopped for fields of blooms...

and antique stores...

we walked (tentatively) over a swinging bridge, with a running creek below...

we went to farmer's market. at one booth my daughter kimberly and i stopped to admire tiny watercolor paintings, all of different scenes of the central coast. a couple was there also asking the artist about the various locations. he said your not from around here are you? they answered no, we're from winnepeg.

winnepeg is renee's home.

my daughter and i had just had lunch and i told her about the latest news with renee and her own daughter angelique. we both had tears as i shared what i knew.

when not an hour later we heard this couple say winnepeg, kimberly and i both stopped. and hugged. and i am sure i saw all the trees and flowers sway suddenly in the wind as if they knew and she knew she were here with us. and i had tears again.

after we crossed the bridge we found yet another antique store, i could keep this up all day, but i wanted kimberly to enjoy it too, she said she was, so on we went...

"be careful with the words you use, they create the world around you" a native american saying i love. isn't this a sweet and simple sign?....

more beauty everywhere, in thoughtful displays...

and soft fabrics nestled in baskets...

new blossoms appearing on a painted sky...

and funny chickens and roosters that mind your business on the streets of this town...

thank you for coming with kimberly and i, now it's time we started making our way home, safe journeys to all of us...

♥ happy sad lori

(i can't seem to leave off the back to the beloved ocean going home photo,

however blurred and an antenna filled it is.)