Grasping the Moment

Deb had a grand time on the carousel at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, grabbing for that elusive brass ring. I love the momentum in this photo...

Spoiled Rotten

Deb can always be relied upon to spoil me rotten for my birthday, an event we could just as soon skip, thank you very much. I got a rare evening out though, and she treated me to a lovely dinner at the new L'Appart in San Anselmo. I ate so much, I should have walked home...

C'est Si Bon...

My dear friend Deb treated me to a luxurious lunch today at great little French place called Le Garage, which is housed in, of all places, a garage. But a garage with a view of sailboats on the Sausalito waterfront! When the weather is beautiful, as it was this afternoon, they simply roll up the garage doors for instant dining al fresco. I love this place, and it was great to spend time with one of my favorite people... Thank you, darling!

Meet Me at the MOMA

Deb is the work of art in this photo!

Gratitude

Monday lunch with Deb at Cafe Gratitude.

I'm so blessed to have a friend like her...

How Mama Got Her Groove Back

"Blue Funk" would probably best describe my mood the last few weeks. It most likely started with a comment Chloé made while flipping through some photos of me in my 20s: "Wow, Mom, I wish I'd known you when you were FUN!" Ouch. When did I stop being fun, I wondered. How did it happen? Top that off with an imminent birthday that plants me firmly on the downhill side of forty-something, and my mood turns epic blue.

"We're having none of that!" says my friend Deb, "Get a babysitter; we're celebrating!" Let me tell you, when that woman does something, she doesn't do it by halves: she carted me off to the Day Spa at Cavallo Point, where we started the day with a private yoga session in the historic Mission Chapel, followed by a massage and unlimited use of the spa's steam room, hot tub, and pool. We ate salad under the pepper tree and finished off with a cacao drink that practically made us swoon...

Floating on air, we decided to tour the rest of the establishment, including the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Marin, Murray Circle. Having covered the entire premises, we made to leave and were heading down the stairs. At the bottom of the steps, we looked at each other for a split second, then made a complete U-turn: it's so hard to end a perfect day. Cocktails on the patio seemed in order, and sealed the perfection of the moment.

I feel ten years younger. I could even make a stab at being fun. I think I'll paint my toenails red and dust off my dancing shoes, who knows? Deb does; she's got my number, and it's definitely not forty-something...

Gifts DO Grow on Trees

One of the most special gifts we received this season was a bottle of olive oil from some good friends of ours. The oil itself is wonderful -- pungent and piquant. But what makes this gift so exceptional is not just the product, but the love, thoughtfulness, and creativity that went into the making of it.

Aidan(4) and Elena(2) helped pick the olives off the trees on their property in Fairfax. Mama Superior Deb figured out the how, when, and where of getting the olives pressed. Deb and her husband Eric, both amazing designers, created the label together. A personal family effort, with all their devotion and imagination squeezed directly into the charming bottle.

Our hard-to-impress kids were wowed by this touching gift. We have been showing it off to anyone who comes by our house. It really is true: the best things do come in small packages. And we are duly grateful.