Sally Dean

Bernie and I: A Love Begins

No, mom, I haven’t met the man of my dreams.  Sorry to disappoint.  Geez….

Rather, I’ve met…well…how shall I put this? The dog of my dreams!

So, one of my friends here in Ojai had to move back to the East Coast (have fun with those winters!) and she asked me if I wanted her dog.  I’ve always loved animals, but since I don’t see myself as the most stay-put person, I’ve never taken one on myself.

But there she was with those droopy eyes and that wagging tail and I just couldn’t resist.  She’s a Bernese Mountain Dog, which may very well be the most beautiful animal you’ve ever seen in your life.  I figure she will help me to stay active since I have to take her for walks everyday.

And…you never know.  Some cute guy just might stop me to ask me about my dog. Stranger things have happened.

The best part is that Bernie is already trained, so I don’t have to go through that whole mess.  He’s really adorable – he’s kind of like an overgrown carpet, and since I haven’t put much effort into decorating my apartment…I think he’s become the perfect decoration.

Gotta love those unexpected finds – and I’m definitely falling in love with Bernie!

Happy Trails To You

I’ve been trying to get myself to wake up early each morning and to enjoy the fresh air before work.  As you probably know already, I’m not a morning person, which makes it very difficult for me to confront the day before 10 or 11 in the morning.

But, as I can hear my mom saying in my head, I tend to waste some of the best hours of the day by sleeping so late.  So, the last few days I’ve managed to roll out of the covers by 7:30 and get on the Ojai Valley Trail.

The Trail is amazing.  It runs for more than nine miles and on any given day you’ll see bicyclists, walkers, joggers and even horses on the trail (yes, horses have a different trail nearby so we don’t step in their….).

Anyway, it’s been a great breath of fresh air. I’ve always been an exercise enthusiast, but I’ve usually gotten my work-out on the courts or in the gym.  It’s a bit of a switch-up for me to be exercising outdoors in the beautiful surroundings here on the Trail, and I’m really enjoying it.

Feeling a bit spoiled…and then feeling guilty that I’m only just NOW getting my act together to start appreciating the great ways to exercise outdoors. Where have I been all these years?

Can’t Get Over this Winter Weather

I’m a Minnesota girl at heart, so it’s still so hard for me to believe that it’s winter each year here in California.  I mean, come on! I’m still wearing shorts some days, and we are out on the courts playing tennis for hours at a time without frost bite.

It’s like a dream come true for someone from the Midwest.  This must be the best kept secret in the world – or I would think that everyone who lives in a freezing cold place would have flocked here already.

Yes, I miss those white Christmas dinners (sorry I’m not there mom!) but they simply can’t compare with getting a suntan on December 24^th here in Ojai, or walking around in flimsy skirts and shorts on a winter’s eve.

Gotta love this California thing. Just don’t tell too many people or our little slice of heaven will get too crowded!  Come to think of it…maybe I shouldn’t post this blog.  Hmmmm….

Bore! Sorry, I Mean Fore!

After my rather dismissive comments about golf in an earlier post, a friend from the pro shop at work insisted on taking me out to play golf. She’s really serious about golf, can wax poetic about it for hours (and hours, and hours, and hours …) and this was an experience that I anticipated with all the pleasure I usually reserve for root canals.

French Toast a la Ojai

I’ve promised to write occasionally about what I eat for breakfast, at least in part because it will keep my mom happy to know that I’m eating right.

Well sorry mom … today’s breakfast was a culinary masterpiece but a nutritional train wreck! As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m friends with several of the chefs at the spa where I work and boy, can those guys cook. Some of the staff who live near each other got together for a casual brunch since we all had the morning off, and Dave and Tony were the hosts and chief cooks (in trade off, the rest of us helped with all the sous-chef tasks – chopping, mixing and of course, doing the dishes).

Jazz Salad Sandwiches

There was an arts festival downtown last night, and a friend and I spent the evening wandering around and people-watching. Ojai is home to lots of artists, and much of the work on display was by locals. I saw some beautiful pieces, many of which I coveted hugely, but funds are a little low right now so I restrained myself. But I took a lot of pictures and made notes about some of the pieces I’d like to return to once money is a little less of a worry.

Golf On Ice Might Be Cool

I left off last time talking about Lake of the Isles. In the winter, it’s probably the best of the local lakes for ice skating and hockey because much of it is skinny and meandering, rather than being a big round blob. Since it’s skinny it freezes harder and deeper, so the ice is sturdier.

Mom Called From Minnesota

As I predicted, I got several phone calls from Mom today about (a) that date, (b) this blog, (c) my nutrition, (d) my sleep habits, (e) and my generally casual approach to life.

We seem to have reached an accommodation however, mostly because she lives in Minnesota and she can’t simply pop around to my house and sort things out in person. Did I mention that I’m originally from Minnesota? Don’t think so, so here’s a quicky rundown of my early years.

Here’s Where It All Begins

The first post … a sort of beginning.

As I mentioned on my About page, I’m a keen amateur cook with a leaning towards breakfast foods, and breakfast is a beginning, isn’t it? So let me tell you what I had for breakfast (yes, it’s going to take me a while to get into this writing groove, please have patience with me).

But now that I think about it, this really wasn’t a great day to start my blog if I’m going to talk about my breakfast, because I had a bowl of Rice Krispies, a banana, and a yogurt! Hardly a gourmet start to the day, was it?