Friday, October 5, 2012

Around Here in September: California

I have been doing some "Around Here" style posts as a wrap up of every month for a few months now. September was a weird month. It was rather dull on the home front. I wasn't very inspired to get out and about and Berkeley was only home for 3 days the whole month (side note: he is still gone). There weren't many pictures from the past month except for the pictures from my trip back to the farm in California. This this post was my recap of my 10 day trip as well as an Around her post for September. Yay a twofer!














The 12 hour drive is tiresome and frustrating when you do it alone. But the views when driving into the farmlands at 7pm are great! Cruising across the highway, with windows down, and the sweet smell of growing produce filling the air is one of my favorite things. 

This trip was a special trip. Not only was it just my annual summer trek to visit the family, my sisters, mom, and great aunt hosted a bridal shower for me. It was fancy tea party themed with giant hats, fancy dresses, finger foods and fun. Not to mention awesome and important women from our family there to support my marriage to Berkeley! 

We played the "What am I?" game a lot. It is similar to "What card am I?" except we make and illustrate our own stuff and sometimes the cards are a little inappropriate. Like Motorboatin'.

I spent a lot of time with my sister's furbabies. They have an Australian Shepard that loved having someone else there in the day to play with her. 

Lots of farm life. Lots of feeding. Lots of corralling chickens to where you want them to go, while one of the chihuahuas chases back the other direction. 

The cat was mad at me. She used to be an indoor cat, but my parents banished her for making the space behind the TV her litter box. She wanted me to take her inside and this was the resulting expression and then she tried to scratch me. Bad Cat!

My youngest sister got a pit bull puppy last year, now she has a Llama. Coincidently enough, Tina the Llama prefers me to many of the regular characters at my parents' place. 

The dog, we had no idea was pregnant, had seven puppies! She dug a dirt den thing in her kennel and then had the puppies right in it despite there being a doghouse with bedding right next to her. Dogs are silly!

My trip was during the full moon and the sun was crazy orange red every night as it was setting. Nowhere has sunsets quite like Northern California. I love Northern AZ sunsets and they are gorgeous, but still not the same as CA. 

My sister's other fur baby Leo, a teeny tiny Pomeranian, snuggled with me almost every afternoon for a midday nap. I feel like I run myself ragged when I am there visiting people, helping around the house, driving 20 minutes one way to the only market around, so naps are a must since my family stays up until about 11pm. 

We all migrated to my grandma's place for a family dinner one night. With just my parents, my siblings (plus significant others),  and my grandparents there were 10 of us! Christmas will only be more hectic. Who knows who all will be around then. 

In September we have bonfires. We sit bundled up and shoot the shit or "tell lies" as my grandpa would  say. We made s'mores with chocolate frosting and peanut butter cups. 

Leaving is usually bittersweet. I love being with my family, but I can only take so much of the crazy, hectic, busy, spontaneous lifestyle that most of them live. I think because I stayed in my sister's home almost the whole trip instead of at my parents house, I was on the outer edge instead of in the eye of the hurricane and I really did not feel ready to leave yet. I did not get my fill of Armstrong crazy! The drive back to the high desert is always dreaded, but I know that my home is here, with Berkeley. As much as I want to be closer, this is where I belong, this is where I flourish.

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