Sunday brunch with the Folks

Mom and Dad were in town this weekend - Dad was attending a glaucoma conference. You can't see Teddy, but he was lying down at my feet. We went to Judy's Cafe in the Marina. As you can see, it was a GORGEOUS, clear day with hardly a cloud in the sky. We continued on to Crissy Field where Teddy got to swim and frolic with other dogs. We finished the day at Matt & Kassy's house and had dinner at Pizza Antica, an upscale yet kid-friendly Italian place. The ricotta-potato gnocchi was FANTASTIC.

Back home

A happy reunion. Teddy has been on particularly good behavior these last 24 hours. Peter and I are still jet lagging. We arrived home just as Mom and Dad were arriving from Florida for a visit. Teddy and I met them & Pat for lunch in the city. Beautiful weather, too - all in all, it's good to be home!

noodles in shigaraki

noodles in shigaraki
Originally uploaded by js_hale

yum!

chikage's first yakiniku

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Originally uploaded by js_hale

Peter and I are back in Tokyo at Ren & Hiroko's. We went out to yakiniku - it was Peter's first yakiniku experience, and Chikage's as well.

dinner at kohju

dinner at kohju
Originally uploaded by js_hale

one of john's favorites,gorgeous!

"Baby" Chikage

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Baby Chikage is quickly becoming a little girl!

Back in Tokyo

Back in Tokyo now - fighting jet lag. Imagine the fun. Tired or not, I actually have fun no matter what when I stay with Ren and Hiroko. Will try to take some more pictures soon - we had a stellar Saturday in Shibuya, shopping for oddds and ends at Tokyu Hands and my favorite store in the world, MUJI. Tomorrow Ren promised to take me to the "cool" MUJI store - they're all cool, so my curiousity is piqued. Work starts on Monday, so tomorrow is my last day to play.

happy couple in Heavenly

Jen&Peter_Heavenly_jan08
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Me and my hot husband - I LOVE to watch him ski! : )

Poocher loves the snow!

Poocher loves the snow!
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Peter and I were in Tahoe this past weekend - it was Teddy's first time in the snow and he took to it just like the water. It's tough to say which one he prefers! This was taken at Heavenly, South Lake Tahoe. Makes me wish that there was such a thing as doggy skis....Peter said that dogs are allowed on the slopes in Telluride....we might have to check that out soon!

New Year's Dinner

Peter and I had an awesome New Year's with the crew in the city. House parties are the way to go - we had every intention of heading down to North Beach at some point, and ended up staying at the house party we were at because there wasn't much of a point in going out. The next day, we sat on the couch watching the Rose Parade and college football - the customs of New Year's Day in the US never fail to bring out my southern roots - namely, food and football. I got to see Michigan beat the Gators, which I was happy about. I had to explain a couple of times that I cheer for anyone who plays AGAINST Florida - why? because I am an FSU fan! This answer resulted in confusion for my non-southern friends and required further explanation. In the South, where children come out of the womb destined to cheer for a specific team (in north Florida, it's either UF or FSU), football is at the center of the universe for most people - the only other exception (in some cases) being church and Jesus. Despite my very mixed feelings about where I grew up, I do get nostalgic for the fervor of southern football - the passion of it is intoxicating, and the drama of the rivalries could easily overwhelm one's better judgment - how many things can you say that about?

Anyway, Peter and I came home that evening and I made Hoppin' John and sweet cornbread (pictured) for dinner - ham and black-eyed peas for good luck, and collard greens for wealth! I make a healthy version - I use lean ham slices, versus a ham hock or bacon fat - and low sodium chicken broth. I saute the collards & onion in olive oil & garlic, then add roasted red pepper seeds for a little kick. Sweet cornbread is also not strictly traditional, but I like it better than savory cornbread. Plus, Peter takes it to work and has it for breakfast!

Muffins!

I was inspired by Patty's amazing cooking up in Covelo - I decided to make muffins from scratch. They weren't as good as Patty's, but Peter LOVED them - so I'll call it a success. I snapped this picture of myself, pointing proudly at the bran muffins, made in part from Trader Joe's "Bran Clusters with Raisins" cereal - I don't think it's the ideal cereal to use, but it's all we had - you're not usually supposed to 'experiment' with baking, but I couldn't resist. I got lucky this time - they were pretty good!

Christmas in Covelo

Peter, Patrick and I piled in the car last weekend with the dog in tow & headed up to Covelo for Christmas. It was AWESOME - peace and quiet, acres of land for the dogs to run around, horses, fresh air....and Peter's mom's AMAZING cooking. Who could ask for more? Patrick is nursing a torn ACL - he just had surgery, and this was the perfect place to covalesce. I'm sure he'd agree that he was spoiled rotten, as we all were.

First Christmas Wreath

Now that I'm all bonified as a married lady, I am venturing into the Domestic Arts. This wreath is my very first attempt - I still have no idea how I managed to tie the bow so that the ribbon's design faces outward - it's nothing short of a miracle - a Christmas miracle!!

Hilltop Swing

Teddy and I found this swing on a recent walk - our house is surrounded by these beautiful, golden hills that make for great hiking and exercise. It's part of the trade-off of living in San Rafael vs. San Francisco - true, it's not the city - but then again, it's NOT the city! :)

Hikin'

Peter and I took the dog hiking today - this picture is actually from several months ago - didn't have my camera with me today but it's the same general vicinity. It was blustery-cold but still fun - we hiked up to a peak where we could see all around - San Pablo Bay, the city, the ocean, etc. Awesome. One of the great things about living in Marin (besides having all this in your backyard) is that you can swing by Lucinda's on your way home and get a righteous burrito. Peter and I split a chicken burrito with plenty of guacamole and sour cream...the BOMB.

"Naahts of Laaghts"

Peter and I went to Florida for a week's worth of post-wedding parties. This was the "Nights of Lights" fundraiser party & we're on a horse-drawn carriage with Mom and Dad in the back, Travis, mom's friend Tara & her husband and Misty (right). Immense quantities of food and beverages were consumed throughout the week - now that we're back home, it's time to work it all off! And yet here I sit, blogging...

Our idea of Heaven

Just another Tuesday morning at the Preserve. This was our view waking up each day we were there. Our last day & a half was like a mini-honeymoon. Spectacular place. We had a running joke that there were secret servicemen running around after us on walkie-talkies saying, "Cue the hummingbirds! Cue the wild turkeys!"

Just Married!

We did it!! Thank you to all who attended and to all who were there in spirit. It was the most perfect day in so many ways. We are so grateful to our families and friends whose love and support have made us who we are and ultimately helped us find each other. We love you!!!

Just Married!

There will be more pictures to come - so far, this is one of the cutest. Madelyn and Koko were my adorable flower girls.
More to come!

That bird can DANCE

"All God's creatures"

Teddy came with us to Grace Cathedral on the Sunday before last to be 'blessed.' Jane Goodall was there to give the sermon
and was also the guest at the Forum beforehand. All things considered, Teddy was an angel and was very happy to lie down
and chew his little stuffed toy shaped like a bone!

Teddy's Getting BIG

Poocher is almost 6 months old! He has all of his adult teeth in (we think) and enjoys playing at Alta Plaza every day with his buddies.

Wine Tasting

Peter and the Hale clan (Mom, Dad, Patrick, me) went wine tasting last weekend - we got a car & driver, which eliminated a lot of stress. We visited Peter's favorite vineyards (which have also become some of my favorites too) - Duckhorn, Grgich Hills and Chateau Montelena. Grgich Hills was pouring a reserve chardonnay that was to die for - at a mere $75/bottle. As good as it was, we couldn't justify paying that much for a chardonnay - it's one thing if you're dropping that kind of money on something that will age well and appreciate in value - we made up for it by buying several other bottles from each vineyard!

smart dog

Teddy is perfecting the art of camoflauge - chewing his toy in close proximity to Daddy's shoes. It could be that he's enjoying a little bit of leather alongside the toy. However, he figures that we might give him the benefit of the doubt that he's NOT chewing on the shoes since his toy is right there. It could be that he's merely satisfying his chewing needs on an appropriate toy while basking in the scent of leather and feet...

shibori

Since my kimono shopping experience with my friend Hiroko, I have been obsessed with shibori. This one is the all-over shibori,
and there is a special term for it in Japanese that means "baby deer" - very appropriate. I visited John's studio and he showed me this beautiful kimono while I was picking out fabric for my wedding dress! You can sort of tell that the silk fabric has this raised pattern where it has been bound and dyed by hand, giving it a bumpy texture all over. The style is a "furisode" (long-sleeved) kimono, and they usually have elaborate, conspicuous colors and patterns because they are worn by young, unmarried (read: eligible) women. This one is not only special because of its beautiful handiwork but there is a great story behind it. It has never, ever been worn. After incredible amounts of intensive labor on the part of the seamstress, the dyer, the painter, etc., the seamstress who put it all together was told that she had made a mistake and had sewn it together improperly. The designs did not match at the seam as they should. The kimono dealer would not buy it, and the seamstress had no choice but to keep it for many years before selling it to a private collector at a discounted price. This collector, a dyer and artist named John Marshall, examined the kimono after buying it and realized that the seamstress had never made a mistake at all - as a dyer, he recognized a mistake that people in the dying profession make all the time - the dyer of the kimono had not lined up the seams properly - the seamstress was not to blame at all! Now, the seamstress is long-since retired and she is in her late 80's. John told her relatives what he had found, and has left it up to them whether to tell the seamstress. I hope that John puts this one in a show someday, so that people can hear the story and see this beautiful kimono!

The perfect teacup

I am considering putting this pattern on the registry, which will end up as more of a pie-in-the-sky wish list, methinks.
This is Lenox Federal Platinum pattern - simple, classic, elegant. Frickin' gorgeous!

My niece-in-law, Evelynne

Peter and I spent the week up in Portland, OR with his brother Jim, his wife Gillian and their baby girl, Evelynne. It was by far one of the most relaxing weeks of the year to date. Even though I had (and still have) a persistent cough that will not not go away, Gillian and I made the most of every day walking the dogs on trails and shopping while Jim and Peter built a fence in the backyard.

Our New CAR!!!

Peter and I were all set to have a lazy Saturday afternoon in San Rafael (previous posting was from Sunday, June 17th, btw).
We're sitting outside at Starbucks, evaluating our options...go on a hike, go shopping, do some yard work, buy a car....
and we chose to buy a car!! This is the Subaru 2008 Tribeca 5-seater SUV with all wheel drive and GPS navigation! You can't quite tell from the picture, but the color is a charcoal grey - AND it has an auxiliary jack for my ipod. We left it up in San Rafael until we go to Portland next weekend. Friday cannot get here fast enough!

Doggy dog

It was a lazy Sunday. Teddy accepted a rare invitation to come romp in the bed.