Friday, March 8, 2013

End o' week musings

I've been back from Hawaii for almost ages, but I'm still keeping my island style state of mind. Of course my little trip to Catalina Island last weekend helped....


What could be better than a nice camping trip? One that includes a birthday! And so it was that last Friday, my friend Dean and I took off to Catalina Island for both. The birthday boy had a free ride on the Catalina Express, plus free lunch at Buffalo Nickel and other free treats in Avalon. I didn't, but I was ready for a great adventure. We decided to try the tent cabins in Hermit Gulch.


The site is up the hill (don't let the slight slope mislead you, it's a trek with gear!) between the Nature Center and Wrigley Botanical Gardens. It is beautiful with a rolling green lawn that was lush with partridges and squirrels in the evening and crows and jays in the morning, along with foxes at night. The tent cabin was clean and cots, as well as a stove and lantern were provided. One odd thing though was there was only one canister of propane so you couldn't use the stove and lamp at the same time... I brought flashlights, so we were OK.


The tent cabin had a wood floor (on which I practice my hula moves) and a porch, as well as lots of windows and screens so you could have it as open or closed to nature as you wished. There was also a grill and a picnic table and lots of trees. Just watch out for the pinecones-- they were HUGE! I worried about going to the restroom at night, getting bonked on the head and dragged off by the foxes before I was discovered missing.....  Yes, active imagination, I know.... but those pinecones are massive!


We explored a little of Avalon Friday night and then cooked up some dinner. In the morning we heated up coffee, which I sipped while enjoying the humming of bees in the blossoming cherry tree nearby. It was a quiet spot, but we were told that it gets loud over the summer. Also, if you go, be aware the trolley won't take you if you have "luggage" (read sleeping bags) and the only way other than hoofing it is a taxi for $15 one way, unless you can bum a ride from the golfcarters. We hoofed it...


Saturday we visited the museum, which has dramatically improved since I saw it last. It had several exhibits and was quite interesting. We wandered the shops, ate ice cream from Olaf's (my fave!) and lazed on the beach. Yeah, I could do all that again.


Tuesday I got to visit the new Fantasy Faire at Disneyland and, well, here's my story with Keith Durflinger's photos http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_22733029/fantasy-faire-new-disneyland-attraction-opens-march-12?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com
I'll admit that I squealed like a three-year-old when I met Princess Ariel and we chatted about dinglehoppers for our hair. She was lovely!!!


I joined my friend artist Nancy for a proper tea Wednesday evening. She had put out her china and a delightful array of treats. It was awesome!  She also gave me a tour of her art, which was in several rooms of her pretty Cape Cod house. I especially enjoyed seeing Nancy's works in progress and her tropical fish paintings.


Tonight I'm off to catch the Donots playing with Flogging Molly at the Fox Theatre in Pomona and the rest of my weekend is filled with Renaissance Faire preparations- we're on countdown now.


In rotation this week: Saint Diablo, Owl City, Rob Zombie and Tenacious D. I also discovered the Rhythm Killers courtesy of Affinity Music and you should check them out youtu.be/KrynyB0BtV8

Photos we got 'em:  Dean's pics of Avalon harbor, Hermit Gulch campground and the killer pinecones, Princess Ariel and me by Keith Durflinger and my shot of Miss Nancy sipping tea. Also, if you want to see some cool coffee photos, check out these by Keith Birmingham from our visit to the Gavina production plant http://photos.sgvtribune.com/2013/03/07/photos-gavina-coffee-in-vernon/


 Thought o' the week: Organize! Despite my island style state of mind, I was getting a little overwhelmed at the thought of the next three months. That's the time I have committed to the Renaissance Faire (www.renfair.com) and it's daunting because the rest of my life doesn't stop-- there's work, concerts, dance gigs, friends and more.... not to mention housework and laundry.... and grocery shopping... and.....


OK you get the picture. So instead of freaking, I began organizing. I created a list of every weekend from now through the end of May and on each day I wrote what I had to do and when. Looking it over, I actually found some free time here and there too! But the main thing was seeing it on paper helps me to relax, I know what I have to do and what time I have for other things.


It's important to use little tricks to ease your worries, small or large and one of the best is writing lists. Try it and see if it works for you... you may just feel better if you organize.


Keep on rockin'
Mickie










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