the first day

hellooo! merry christmas happy new year! we started new years day doing 'dawn patrol' at the beach, getting a head start on the first day of the year always seems like a good way to begin, a blessing of good things to come :) we watched the sun rise, he from his surfboard, me from the shore. afterwards we warmed up with hot coffee and blueberry pancakes at esau's cafe. where to begin to share these last few weeks? did you see some of my kids in the photos? my baby celebrated her twenty third birthday in kentucky with her love. i sent her birthday present to matt's families home, where they were staying. because i lacked any birthday ~ christmas organizational skills of any kind this year, i had to send it express next day hurry! i received the best phone call ever when she said she'd been there one hour, the doorbell rang and there was the delivery man with her package. yay! really can't thank u.s.p.s. enough for incredible service, happy happy mama and girl!  my eldest son kyle spent some time with a friend in chicago. he said it was the coldest he's ever been, and sent photos to show his snow covered freezing self. the best thing that happened this christmas was the surprise my kids planned for me. my middle son erik, who lives in brooklyn, was not coming home for christmas, work commitments. and then, on the morning of the day, he walked in the door!! he and kyle had planned another surprise (how did they learn to do this?!) to do with my gift. even though i am not like the grinch, (i think) my heart swelled ten times that day. kimberly and hannah, my girls, gave me gifts that are so amazing i will have to take photos of. yes, have to. grown up children so thoughtful and sincere has touched me in a place i didn't know existed. i said i wouldn't cry, really, for everyone's sake, because you know when mama cries the whole of the family is affected. but i did. jacob, my youngest son could not come home, so joy mixed with pangs of wishful (wistful?) feelings on christmas. so many firsts this year for all of us. i woke to an empty house, except for my puppy owen, jacob was alone too, though he had his pup louie. his girlfriend was in ohio with her family and chuck was surfing (we talked and i wanted him to!). i think we have never been so grateful for our doggie best friends!

so sorry for such a long post, i tried to keep photos to a minimum since i knew words were going to come
*sigh* the holidays are like that. missing my kids (even while they are here because i know they are going to go again), missing my mom, loving them all so much. emotions swirling, electrified, amplified, like the twinkling lights of the season, the glowy feeling remains even after the plug is pulled and the house empties again.

the rest of the photos:  my sister came up! we went to loop and leaf for wool (thank you husband for gift card!) and we went to the santa barbara pier, we sat in the sun and ate clam chowder and drank wine, while watching tourists take photos of themselves to send to their cold relatives in chicago (eavesdropping, hee hee) i knit lindy a scarf in a sunset color.  for erik i made a hat, warm and soft for his cold nyc winter (he is taking a photo of a flying monkey clinging to a banana, santa brought shrieking flying slingshot monkeys to everyone, most fun part of the day, six monkeys were flying everywhere, find them here).  new buttons made in norway found here. sweet gifts sent from andi and deb, thank you!! and a giveaway won! the incredible shetland wrap (more on this later)!! more tree boxes found, LOVE these boxes. and kits from london and iceland, and books, new beautiful books. i think it's best to end this looong unorganized post now...going to work on that this year (being organized, i have begun with the books!), we are going to take owen for a walk on the beach, well, we walk, he runs willy nilly. we want his first day of twenty fourteen to be one to remember too. :)   happy new year lovely people.

more islands, men folk and a knit to share

 ...i do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in
the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what i have been doing all day. 
   mary oliver, the summer day

some of the wandering i've been doing has been out on the islands again. i brought one of my vintage film cameras last week, and set it in the trail to take this self portrait. i found a manual for this lovely old pentax (bought at a flea market) online at orphan cameras here.

santa cruz island

the island fox

they keep getting bolder and bolder. this one came to the portable guide shower for a drink, and then walked so close to me i could have pat him on his tiny little head  :)

in the eastern sierras...

chuck

mountain menfolk, my husband and friends. they climbed mt. whitney (again). this time the east buttress way. chuck is pictured rock climbing up the face. it's difficult to tell in the photo, it's very steep, almost vertical. eeeps. well done men!

a few years back, we went together, taking the trail (not really scary) way to mt. whitney's summit 

then, musical menfolk....

the avett brothers are coming to santa barbara!

i have tickets!!!!

family and friends surfing menfolk

my son came up with friends, their first time to santa barbara 

the sun surf and sea breeze all came too, to make sure they'd have a fabulous time.

a new sweater

(unblocked, ah well, it's finished and just in time!...)

and hat

this is the cobblestone by jared flood, i think maybe the three thousandth one made on ravelry. hee hee. my dear husband is heading out on an epic adventure, to the far north. i tried to surprise him with this, and came close, but he was persistent, who is it for?? it's made of baby alpaca, so so soft. and warm, which was most important. i made him two hats also, the one pictured above is called the wolf pack. he is hoping to see a wolf in the wild, well, one of the things he is hoping to see. i'm hoping for him too, and maybe this hat will be a totem for him, keep him warm and give him luck.
raverly notes for the sweater and hat

not much time for photos, i was able to take these while he was at work at the beach

 (red lifeguard shorts) 

 

wearing his other new hat, the sweater all tucked in his backpack and ready for it's first big adventure!

  safari njema (travel safely) honey, i can't wait to hear your stories!