Out of the mists

Apologies to all who were expecting a blog update on our adventures in California yesterday...a work deadline followed me here and, in addition, all the overtime of the past six weeks suddenly caught up (like a sledge-hammer). The narration of our adventures had to wait.

Interesting, though, that as I browsed through the photos of the last two days, I saw a distinct progression from scenes immersed in fog and mist to those drenched in sunshine under that brilliant northern Californian sky that I love. This so perfectly captures my recent state of mind that it seemed meant to be.

The gorgeous photo of the Golden Gate Bridge above and the next few below were taken during our exploration of Fort Point. This fort and army barracks is steeped in history (the terrific trio ran their hands over a cannon made in the 1640s) but as it is now also empty of all except tourists, it has an eerie atmosphere that I love. The girls ran through the empty galleries, up and down the stone stairwells and stood on the roof of the fort, facing the gales blowing in off the pacific. Yes, it was chilly and damp beneath the billowing fog bank but we loved it all and we smirked to see the "tourists" so poorly dressed for San Francisco weather.

Fascinated with cooking shows and trying delicious recipes, I LOVED this actual excerpt from the cook's notes that had been posted in the army barracks kitchen.

As we drove back from our adventure in the city, over the Golden Gate and into Marin, we emerged from the fog to glorious sun. We explored the main square in my sister's town, dropped in at a tiny, cozy book shop and then had a delectable meal of flatbread pizza at a favourite place in town.

Work deadline met, lunch and a little shopping under our belt today, I collapsed in the sunshine at a local park.

ahhhh...

Tomorrow the adventure continues.

My most favourite place...

My sister first came to San Francisco on a Summer internship in 1992. Before she even had time to settle in with our cousins who lived there, I had booked my flight. I fell in love with the city, the surrounding area, the Golden Gate Bridge, the fog and the smell of eucalytpus.

In the intervening 18 years, my sister has moved to the Bay area to further her career, moved homes several times, met her englishman and married him, gave birth to an amazingly brilliant daughter, left the company that brought her here and launched her own business where she does everything from animation projects and film editing to documentary work (and much more).

And me, I still love everything about this place.

I love the house my sister and her English Hubby found and made their own, love the hills and woods and deep, deep blue sky. I love the fact that I can be in the midst of an enormous red wood forest, or at the top of a mountain or standing on the shore of the pacific ocean, all within minutes of their front steps.

So over the next few weeks while I immerse myself in this place that I love, I'll post some of the highlights so that you too can experience just a bit of the magic.

Fun stuff for the happy cousins...

There is beauty wherever you go...walks to and from the neighbourhood park are adventures in loveliness...

Their home is wonderful...

My room in the treetops

And the most important reason why this is my most favourite place...

Seriously?

Turns out, no.

2 seconds of panic when I saw this face before my mom brain kicked in and I realized that no bruise could show up this fast without a lot of shouting.

Yeah, it was all the product of older sister's make-up work. ;-)

(And for those looking, the Southampton post precedes this one.)

Sunny days...

Major work committments have made my spare time almost non-existent the last 6 weeks but I squeezed in 4 glorious days in Southampton for our annual get-away with our China Beach friends. Weather was glorious, and it provided a few moments of sanity for me in an otherwise crazy time.

Here are some of those moments.

Tribute

I've been fairly emotional the last week as the end of the school year approached. I'm usually not...I love celebrating with both my girls the start of those summer days. Brya and Cassidy were so happy and carefree as they left me at daycare on the final morning of school...

But this last day meant that Bryanna was completing junior public school and her years at Osprey Woods ~ where we love everyhing about the school, the teachers and the many friends made since she first entered the doors at age 4 ~ are now over.

I looked at my oldest daughter so often as time ticked by day by day through the month of June...noticing with fresh eyes how beautiful she is, and kind, and funny.

I observed her determination to hold a penny drive for the Pennies for Peace charity in the final week of school, doubting how much success she could have this late in the year. Then I sat back amazed as she returned home with a huge bucket full of those copper-coloured coins, donated by children throughout the school.

I teared up as she came home with a gift of a book from her teacher, and a curious sadness gripped me as I watched her empty her back-pack for the Summer.

She suddenly seems so close to much more significant farewells.

Now my mood was probably not helped by the fact that I have been working many overtime hours this month or that we saw Toy Story 3 a few days ago (what do you mean Andy is leaving for college!!!!????) Still.

However, I have decided for my sanity that I am going to focus on how many more wonderful things Bryanna is now set to achieve and the successes and fun times and celebrations still to come (oh yeah, and teen years, attitude and mood swings to keep it all in perspective).

So. Bryanna's years at Osprey are over, but the music plays on!

the amazing result after only 5 months of lessons

A Little Magic, A Little Music

Today we completed the last of the birthday celebrations with my gift to the girls - a vist to Harry Potter at the Hogwarts School of Wizardry! (Well, the Harry Potter Exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre, anyway.)

Unfortunately, they do not permit photos inside the exhibit which is a real shame, because it was so wonderful to see. If you have been a fan of the movies, then every twist and turn through the authentic rooms full of actual movie items was thrilling. And Bryanna was chosen at the beginning of the exhibit to sit on a stool and have the Sorting Hat placed on her head...and then was sorted into Gryffindor House! (Okay, Bryanna thought it was neat, but this mom - who is a major Harry Potter fan - burst into enthusiastic applause to hear that familiar voice intone through the room "Hmm, daring...brave at heart...Gryffindor!"

We saw costumes, wands and crystal balls, life size models of many of the characters (Auntie Kim, we saw Dobby!), and full size recreations of some scenes (Hagrid's hut was COOL). The girls pulled crying Mandrakes from pots and threw blodgers through small Quidditch hoops on the first try (oh, oh, oh, to be able to take a photo!). Anyway, a very fun afternoon that I enjoyed as much as the dynamic duo did.

And the music?

Well, this was Education Week and the time that Osprey Woods P.S. holds its annual Spring Concert. We headed over early with Nanny and Papa to line up for the first come first served seating in the gym - it was chilly outside but a beautiful evening.

We paused to see the Killdeer bird that had made a nest in one of the schools's tulip gardens...roped off now to keep the mom and her eggs safe until the babies hatch...very cool.

Then it was inside to see the performances. Bryanna had been practicing in the ukelele choir all year and it was great to see her perform - the group was really good!

Then Cassidy and the junior choir arrived to sing a couple of pretty tunes related to the earth and the environment (the theme of the evening). However, why one of the tiniest girls in the choir was placed in the third row behind taller kids baffled all the Thompsons, but fortunately our seats up front allowed us to see her between the rows! She gets a real kick out of performing...

(Cassidy's video clip...)

A little later Cassidy performed with the grade 2s and 3s in a funny take on the three pigs story...is this a priceless photo or what?...

Finally, Bryanna and the grade 5s returned to perform Wavin' Flag...I had no idea that this was coming and was part of the school's committment to teach an awareness of the needs of others around the world...I had heard nothing of it from Brya and found myself very emotional as all the kids broke into song at the end of a video presentation.

(Brya's video clip...)

So, yes there is gardening waiting for me, and purging (again) of far too many closets and drawers and basement boxes. Work is very busy, and multiple projects are piling up.

But, still, these magical, musical moments with the dynamic duo make the everyday so much fun!