We Are Leaving Tonight

We are all set and on our way to the airport. Just waiting for our cab to arrive. 19 hours to go and then we are home (sigh).

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Greetings From San Francisco, CA!

Fly Me To The Moon...

"And let me play among the stars..."

We are flying tomorrow midnight at 12:05! So we'd be at the airport before 9 PM, leaving SFO at around 8 PM. We have 4 luggage; 1 XXL Samsonite is filled with candies! The kids would go nuts! All the other contents of the other suitcase are classified. Ahem! Well, folks- I'd be away for about a month but would post from overseas. Cheers and Merry Christmas!

Hello to my godchild CLARICE from L.A.---if you are reading this- regards to your Lola and Mom!

Hello Tita Ony!!!! And Cecil!!!Ciao!

Travelogue: NAPA VALLEY REVISITED

Click photos *to enlarge*

Famous for its vineyards and winery, Napa Valley produces the best wines in northern California. Wineries are open for wine tasting to the public @ the advent of spring. This is the best part of this season and this goes on until the end tail of summer. I love the perspective of Napa. In the summer, it is green, in autumn it is gold and green.

These photos were taken last November 29, 2006 while we were driving to Napa after which we went straight to Reno, Nevada to visit my in-laws.

Christmas Window Display @ MACY's Union Square, SFO-CA

Click photos to enlarge :-)



Miniature houses for dogs and cats captivated the eyes of many...we came to see these last November 28, while we were walking along Union Square. It was the night after the 80 feet Christmas tree was lighted on! In silouhette is moi partner. Cheers!

Christmas Greetings from Florida

Montverde


Jacksonville

The Nativity Scene

I found this inside the box when I was packing regarding our relocation here from Ripon last June. A few days ago, I decided to display them and placed them above the hutch. I used the red and green placemat to accentuate the scene. Our living quarters this year is simply decorated with minimal Christmas motif because we are leaving next week.

Today, I was delighted moi husband worked on my plant's drip system in our veranda. Now I feel secured that even if we are away, my plants would survive the winter time and would still get the nourisment they needed each day. Thanks, Little Boy Blue!

French Bread Served with Smoked Salmon, Capers, Lemon, Cheese & Mint Leaves

I just had snacks of the above. I baked our favorite French bread and it was - crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft in the side! Husband loves it!

I'm a self-taught bread baker and only started out last year in November when husband bought me my standmixer, Artisan by Kitchenaid. Since then, I have been buying books, researching online and even going to our North Beach Library to borrow books on breadmaking, baking and cooking and it has been wonderful so far. I get better each time I try out new recipes. I learn from my error and have defined new ways to improve my baking or cooking style. If you would go to my archives, you'd see photos of those I baked in the past. And it was for the sheer fun and excitement that I get from it that makes me want to do it again and again. But since we are about ready to fly next week, I opted not to bake. But then when a week passes by and I don't bake, I feel like there's a whole in my heart. So today, I baked a bread. Haha!

Reno Trip Aborted

For the good blessings of our life, one miracle came through yesterday. We need not go tomorrow in Nevada. Yipee! Now I can only focus my time packing. Today, we are also getting back my Euro Portable Sewing Machine that we brought for repair yesterday along Geary, between 14th and 15th Street. We dropped it off yesterday afternoon on our way to Kaiser. I was amazed with the volume of sewing machine, sewing needs, needlework supplies they have there! They even have needles for strecthed fabrics! I am going to buy some stuff there later. Whew!

The Unexpected Trip

Just as we are getting ready for our trip overseas, something came up that we need to drive to Nevada this Sunday. Anyhow, it should be fine.
We'd be back Tuesday morning. So today and tomorrow, I'd be busy packing for our trips (local and international). Hopefully, all things relative to work scenarios should be sorted out before we leave midnight next Wednesday.
Indeed, we are looking forward to this holiday abroad. We purchased our etickets as early as January 2006! Well, whenever we are in Reno, we always stay at my favorite hotel, Peppermill (*see photo above*). On occasions, we drive to the suburbs to visit my sister-in-law who lives there with her spouse. We drive sometimes to Sparks, Nevada when the itch calls for it. Sparks is moi husband's town, where he grew up and spent most of his young adult life in the company of his mom and dad, neighbors, and childhood playmates. There we'd sometimes go to Western Village, to see what's going on.

BTW, on the first week of February next year, two weeks after our holiday trip this December 2006- we are flying to Hawaii. So long for now. Ciao!

My Latest Kitchen Toy: Vitamix 5000

What we have is the white Vitamix. This "toy" ended up to be moi husband's favorite kitchen gadget. I thought it was mine when we got it but instead husband end up using this more often than I do. Beat that?

WHERE DID WE PURCHASE THIS?

We were shopping for chocolates last Saturday at Costco. While walking around and tasting some food promo products, we chanced upon Tyler, the cutie demonstrator of this magic product at Costco along Market on 10th Street. After seeing all the powerful work this blender does, we were ready to rock and roll and buy it!

This is a high-end product that works for commercial use but is sold for home use as well. It is powerful. Vitamix 5000 can liquefy even the seeds of apples, can make veggies into soup and boil them; can pulp the lemon skin and make it look like lemonade! It can make smoothies, ice cream, margarita, sorbet, capuccino, salad dips, etc.
So-after tasting and eating the samples of Tyler's concoction, we finally agreed to get one. And we did simply to lighten up my workload in the kitchen each day. But in reality, husband ended up to be the daily user of this. Currently, he is the designated volunteer con bartender who makes our morning power drink and noontime/evening cocktails!

HOW MUCH IS VITAMIX 5000?

Vitamix is not cheap. It’s $510.00 total (with the tax and extra pitcher). Coming home, we were ecstatic, naturallamente. Moi husband and yours truly went online to research about it. To our disappointment we found out that we paid more for buying it @ Costco instead of buying it elsewhere. Ouch! We paid an extra $70.00 for it-whahhhhh! But never mind. Our Vitamix is a keeper!

We Are Counting The Days

Well, husband and I are extremely delighted that we are now counting the days (*sigh*) before we jetset overseas nextweek- mamamia, next Wednesday midnight! Can't wait to leave and be merry! How about you??? Are you all set for Christmas?

It's been raining here in San Francisco for almost a week now. But am not complaining. My plants are greener and are surviving the wet autumn season! I just hope they don't die out in the frost when it starts coming. Why? Because I want to see them back alive, happy, healthy and green!

Two Years Ago Last November 2004 When I Last Painted in Pastel

Husband asked, "So when are you going to paint again?" "I don't know..." And then I had a good laugh. I have been lazy and uninspired. May be next year I'd start over. Who knows? True. I have been "idle" in terms of painting output since my coming out again last winter 2004. But- I have been baking weekly and been doing gourmet cooking for over a year now. So there goes my creative ouput!

Hello to my goddaughter CLARICE from L.A.!

Hi there! The last time I saw you, boy- you were a toddler (LOL)! Now you're what? 16- 17? Are you dating now? No??? Not yet? Eeks~ What? Your mom won't allow you? But of course! I'd do the same- haha! Seriously, I hope you take your schooling quite well as that is your door to success (wow)! Enjoy the holidays and have the merriest Christmas ever! !Ciao!

Fun Photos: Using The Printmaster Gold

I always love the Printmaster Software. They are great to work with, simple and easy plus user friendly. I always had this software since 1996. However, I lost some of my softwares after traveling around the globe due to my international postings in the past. Last week, we passed by Staples and I found this new one that works magic!

Well, today I did my projects well and I had a lot of fun with my photo files. Below are some sample photos simply known as "second generation photos" since they were download first from the printmaster plates; printed out on photo papers; then captured them once more using a digital camera.





After the long creative process, I saved them on jpeg files so I could download them here. And here are the final files. Enjoy! Let me know which one is your favorite. You can leave a message in the shoutbox/message box. Ciao!

Guess Who Is This Hollywood Heartrob?

You may leave a message in my message box. Cheers!