good things

I know some pretty nifty people. My school has closed due to the pandemic and sadly we had to lay off support staff which means I am not able to see or work with my co-teachers which is a super bummer because we are a pretty nifty team. As it stands, I am creating online content with the teacher that I share my room with who works on the days I do not. She too is pretty darn nifty but working online and via zoom is not the same as being in the field with your team. I miss them! I miss my kids! Ugh. Stupid overpopulated world with its stupid viruses. 

One of my co-teachers lives to the south of me, while the other lives to the north.  We're talking twenty or so miles in each direction. I'm the middle ground so we did a quick meet up at my place to pass along baked goods, virtual hugs, garden goodies, and eggs. Oh how I covet these backyard eggs! The best part was discovering al the silly puns she added to the box. I know some pretty cool people. 

sweet november: pumpkin

mr. a-go-go and I went to a pumpkin potluck this past weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday. We made pumpkin espresso ice cream which was a bit on the meh side. I think it needed more sugar. We also brought homemade donuts which I thought were going to be a bust but then they cooled down and were quite tasty. There was not a crumb left. I need to make them again. I found the recipe on pinterest and baked them in the cupcake baker. I think it was this recipe. So good! Oh and that photo up there? That is espresso with pumpkin ice cream (trader joe's, not mine). Also very, very, tasty!

There was pumpkin risotto, pumkin brioche, carrot cake...cheesecake...

Homemade chocolate dipped marshmallows (I had three).

And this fantastic savory bit that was kind of like a bread pudding crashed into a rarebit. Holy moly, was this good!

After we ate and stuffed ourselves silly we headed outside for some festive fun. It was time to make some birthday art....

And as it turns out, while we may be awesome at whipping up pumpkin dishes, we are a little less awesome when it comes to popping balloons with darts.

We managed (I popped two!) and then mister started throwing sticks...

and then everyone started throwing sticks...

and then the birthday girl got right up in that last green balloon's face and gave it some what for...

I want to do this for my birthday...I may need some darts.

a weekend in reno

the drive on day 1

a little reno lurve

the ho-hum motel

mama quail!

a lightening strike fire made for pretty skies

 we spent last weekend in Reno visiting with family and being quite lazy. it was swonderful. we didn't do much really but it was a weekend well spent. we spent the days with my aunt and uncle hanging out, and spending our meals together. we attempted to cross the new fancy bridge, cheered on my aunt at karaoke, enjoyed a thunderstorm, and watched the quail hop about the patio. the entire time i was full up on allergies. could barely hear a darn thing, i was beginning to get worried. there was some serious congestion going on. the dry air was quite unkind to the not-so-friendly polyp in my nose and while i was indeed physically miserable, i was so happy we visited. we also squeezed in a lovely breakfast with a favorite nervousness friend. it is so dandy to manage a moment or two when you can with people you enjoy.

blueberry, nectarine shortcakes for breakfast

a smidge o happy color

basil, mozarella & blackberry panini

we thought next time to add honey, and change the cheese.

they love uncle jeffy, they really do.

 the drive to reno from the tiny casa is about eight hours. destiny allowed us to break it up into two drives thanks to Tara of The Pink Couch who was visiting family in California. that drive was about five hours long and we left a smidge before rush hour and still made it for a few hours of chatting before sleep got the best of us. the next morning was spent with more chatting, good food, a little walk and the kiddos attaching themselves to mr. a-go-go. you should have seen us dorkily trying to snap a few good shots of the fancy panini we put together. yup, we really do travel with cameras attached. we did not have nearly enough time for visiting so i hope we can make it out their way on our little biggish road trip at the end of summer. keeping fingers crossed.

 cheers to family and friends. good people are always keepers!

a day well spent...

Los Angeles isn't known for it's public transit system, but if you live in the right place, adventure lay just a hop, skip and a jump away. I live in a nifty neighborhood that is a couple of blocks from the subway station.

The Los Angeles subway doesn't go too far but it does go downtown to Union Station. Union Station is right across the street from Olvera Street.Olvera Street is a perfect day trip for some photo ops and eye candy "shopping" with friends. Gotta love a day where you can hang out with friends, take candy colored photos, eat super duper dips from Philippe's without having to get in the car to do it. I spent $2.50 on fare, about $6 on a dip sandwich & lemonade and then splurged $4 on an iced latte at union Station where we hob knobbed in the beautiful main hall. I got home around 2pm and am getting ready to do more crafting.They hadn't set up for Dia de los muertos yet but still there was color. I love the juxtaposition of the lovely embroidered blouses with the freaky marionettes and the campy lucha libre masks. Everything is so colorful at Olvera Street. Sadly though, there are more than a few stalls that are empty and too many of the vendors yell at you when you take pictures of their merchandise. Makes me not want to visit. I might not have spent any money today but I do go there when I know exactly what I want to gift someone with.Did you know Philippe's has a second story? I never noticed..shows you how much I pay attention. There is an enticing staircase that runs along a brick wall covered in names and graffiti. We trolled up the steps to find an empty lovely space. Mini dining rooms with coat hooks on the walls and lovely light and always, those brick walls!
A day spent well spent!

la-dee-dali

Today was some of the best medicine a girl could ever have. I spent the day frolicking about with fabulous new flickr friend and hair stylist extraordinaire, SoMany. We were off to the Dali exhibit at LACMA. First stop, the photo booth. I made us some special pipe cleaner mustaches for props. Next up was LACMA (thanks for the tickets oh husbandman!) and then on to Whole Foods for lunch. Fun was had every moment and I'm still wheezy from all the laughing. Thank you my friend, for a most fabulous and fun day!

Check out more pictures from the day here