California at its best!

The alder trees in the back garden have just about shed all their leaves

I woke up to glorious blue sky this morning! California at its best! Not a cloud in the sky but we are getting very strong winds all morning. Two golf carts raced off on the golf course by the house. I can see them from my desk. What a beautiful sight to see the handful of leaves left on the alder trees flutter. The maple trees are still holding on to most of their leaves.

Another glorious morning with the pool shaded by the morning sun

Yesterday, I had breakfast at Champagne Cafe with Cynthia. She is my first real American friend in this country. I met her while we were building our home in 1997. She is also a neighbor but we can't walk to each other's home because the homes in our estate are quite spread out so we drive. It would take me close to 25 minutes to walk to her home and only 8 minutes if I drive.

Walking is not something we do a lot of in California. We hop in and out of our cars regardless of how short the distance. I am ashamed to confess that I drive from one end of a mall to the other if I am doing errands at shops that are located at two extreme ends of a mall even if it would take me only 5 mins to walk from one shop to another. And yet when I am in London, I think nothing of it when I have to walk 15 mins to a shop to pick up groceries and stuff and walk another 15 mins back.

Bristol Farm at the Promenade Mall

So after breakfast, I got into the car and drove to Bristol Farm, a boutique supermarket which is at the other end of the mall where Champaign Cafe is located. It would take me no more than a mere 5 minutes to walk to Bristol Farm from Champaign Cafe! I wanted to pick up 5 cases of Volvic water - unfortunately they do not have stock. They are expecting the stock to come in on Monday and will hold 5 cases for me to pick up. Although we have Arrowhead drinking water installed to our sink system, my H still prefers bottled water.

Because California is susceptible to earthquakes, it is generally a good habit and part of earthquake preparedness for us to always have stock of bottled water in the home. We also stock non-perishable food items in the pantry always. There are flashlights in drawers around the house and we keep an emergency generator in the garage. Candles are not recommended because homes are not built with bricks, they are built with dry walls around wood frames. Bricks are generally used only to build fireplaces in the homes.

At Bristol Farm, I was pleasantly surprised to see the store decked out for Thanksgiving. I love the beautiful and rich fall colors. It sets the mood for our all time favorite holiday of the year. Thanksgiving falls every year on the last Thursday of November. Because there are just the two of us, we don't often do Thanksgiving dinner at home. I did prepare a big Thanksgiving feast in 1998 - our first Thanksgiving in our then, brand new home which was completed in March 1998. Time flies, we have been in our little haven 11 years!

We usually go to a lovely little French restaurant called Mimosa in Santa Barbara for Thanksgiving. Santa Barbara is about an hour's drive from our home. But for the last couple of years we were invited by friends to join them in their Thanksgiving dinner. So this year would probably be no different except we'll be having a young 17-year old German boy stay with us over the Thanksgiving holidays.

As I was leaving Bristol Farm, I noticed the mall management has already set up the 60-foot tall Christmas tree. Christmas comes early in California, as well. I love Christmas, especially the sound of carols floating in the stores and the lights on the trees that lined the mall parking lots. I am already receiving leaflets in my mailbox from lighting contractors to deck out homes with lights for Christmas.

60-foot tall Christmas tree will be decked out over the next few days

All too soon the year is coming to an end. It has been a year filled with travels and slogging it out for the Calbar. I have only been able to settle down and actually enjoy quiet time at home from mid-September.