I am really enjoying these Fridays where I get to do a bunch of random stuff. This Friday morning entailed doing my laundry and helping my mom organize some of her dresser drawers which led to lots of different stories and hilarity about the random things that she had held onto. We found a booklet…

I got a new haircut today, the shortest I think I have ever had my hair and I am really loving how cool it feels on my neck!  I had lunch with a friend who had recently started a new job that she loves. It was so good to hear her talking about challenges she…

Today was spent helping Mom out in a variety of ways, we got forms notarized, went grocery shopping, I set up her Apple Watch and we played around with it for a little bit. She’s nervous but excited about the watch, at this point it seems to be easier to use than she expected. I…

I spent the day hiking to both the top and bottom of Alamere Falls. I made a conscious effort not to use my phone for anything except taking photos, I put it in airplane mode so that I was not tempted to look at texts or social media or listen to a podcast. I also…

I am so grateful for this time to slow down and wander, to be with my mom and for her very willingly giving me a place to stay so I can take this time off. I realize I am giving up some potential financial security in the future by taking this break, but I gave…

This is a photo of my mom, Ann and her best friend, also named Ann. Our families visited together today for the first time in quite a while, and it was wonderful to be together and reminisce. My sister put it well when she said about their hands in the photo ‘The Auntie Ann’s hands.…

First time I have set an alarm in the last two weeks! Met my hiking buddies at the Richmond Marina and walked along the trail to Point Isabel, where dogs outnumbered people! We saw every size and shape of dog and they all seemed thrilled to have the run of the place. What a beautiful…

This morning I went walking in a different part of the neighborhood and found a trail that led to a street where one house had an egg box with gorgeous blue eggs and across the street was a Free little library with a whimsical travel sign. A little confession, I’ve become so enamored with little…

Today was very much a this and that day. I got laundry done, so glad to have a clothesline rigged up in the backyard so I can hang my clothes out to dry. Had a wander in a neighborhood near my old high school and found the most adorable little free library with a very…

We had a very relaxing last day in Paso. Emmy treated me to a massage at a beautiful resort that had amazing artwork inside and outside. Then we hit one last winery where we enjoyed our final views before hitting the road back home. It was fantastic to have time to hang out, explore and…