The Gypsy Wagon

Even the Longest Day is Swiftly Gone

As the longest day of the year comes to a close, I find myself again wanting to slow down summer, to capture the moments that get lost in the haze of our busy schedule, and to make time pause - just long enough to appreciate the stuff of life.

Since returning from California, I've watched my firstborn son celebrate the end of his middle school years - and while he stands on the cusp of high school, it seems as though it was just a short time ago that he was an infant in my arms.

I've watched my daughter successfully complete 7th grade and see her becoming her own person - with her own ideas, interests, friends and more.

We attended the wedding of one of our former babysitters.  When we lived here before, she was a sophomore in high school and a wonderful sitter.  Now she's grown up, graduated from college and married to a wonderful young man.  She was a beautiful bride -glowing, excited and eager to begin the next phase of her life.

Her mother collected antique compotes in the time leading up to the wedding, and used those as the base for each of the centerpieces on the dinner tables.  The flowers were spectacular and were interspersed with limes, green apples and green grapes.  Each compote had a tag attached to the base with a name on it, indicating who was to receive it at the end of the evening. 

      

Today I picked up my youngest who attended a 4 day/3 night camp.  Again I was reminded of how quickly time flies.  When I arrived at the closing ceremonies for the camp, it was evident that he was comfortable, happy and tired.  Although as a third child, he's never had a lot of separation anxiety -  I was still surprised at how eager he was to go.  In fact, the only concern he expressed at all, was concern that he might not be able to go when we were having trouble getting his health form completed in time.

I missed him  - and each day that he was gone was a strong reminder of how incomplete our family feels when any one person is missing.  It also reminded me that this time when our little family of five is together is finite - and that it will be all too soon that high school will give way to college and beyond, and the circle of our family will widen and change.  And while that is all good and the way it should be, it does give me pause, and and a little bit of heartache.  There were times when all three children were five years old and younger, and John was deployed -that I so wished time would go by faster.  Now - I take it back. Even when we're dealing with teenage opposition, preteen angst and elementary school battles, I want to live in the moment and try to remember not to wish it away.  It does make me think - that even today, on the longest day of the year, time is relentlessly moving on.

I resolve to spend the rest of our summer days enjoying the moments that get lost in the shuffle - the water balloon fights, fishing along the creek, cuddling with the dog, pancakes in the morning, freeze pops, wet swimsuits, soggy towels, lost swim goggles, flip-flops, the smell of sunscreen, the flicker of lightning bugs, sibling battles, "I'm bored", car trips, naps, paperback books, hot dogs on the grill, corn on the cob, homemade ice cream, and laughter. 

How lucky are we to have these moments to remember!

You're a Grand Old Flag

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Originally uploaded by The Gypsy Wagon

My Name is Old Glory

By Howard Schauber

I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over great institutes of learning.
I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world.
Look up! And see me!
I stand for peace - honor - truth and justice.
I stand for freedom
I am confident - I am arrogant
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners
My head is a little higher
My colors a little truer.
I bow to no one.
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted - I am respected
I am revered - I am loved, and I am feared.
I have fought every battle of every war for more than 200 years:
Gettysburg, Shiloh, Appomattox, San Juan Hill, the trenches of France,
the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome, the beaches of Normandy,
the deserts of Africa, the cane fields of the Philippines, the rice paddies and jungles of Guam, Okinawa, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Guadalcanal
New Britain, Peleliu, and many more islands.
And a score of places long forgotten by all but those who were with me.
I was there.
I led my soldiers - I followed them.
I watched over them.
They loved me.
I was on a small hill in Iwo Jima.
I was dirty, battle-worn and tired, but my soldiers cheered me,
and I was proud.
I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of
countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt, for I am invincible.
I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of
my country, and when it is by those
with whom I have served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.
I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stand watch over the
uncharted new frontiers of space
from my vantage point on the moon.
I have been a silent witness to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hour comes when I am torn into strips to
be used for bandages for my wounded comrades on the field of battle,
When I fly at half mast to honor my soldiers,
And when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving
mother at the graveside of her fallen son.
I am proud.
My name is Old Glory.
Dear God - Long may I wave.

I have been to several change of command ceremonies and military retirement ceremonies where this essay has been read - and a perfectly folded flag is solemly passed from servicemember to servicemember until it is presented at last to the honoree. It is deeply poignant, and I have yet to get through it without tears. I don't know how well-known this essay is outside of military circles, but it's thought-provoking and reminds all of us of the significance of our flag.

I hope you find it meaningful.

Carmel Valley Road Trip

If there's anything better than driving around on back roads with the top down, music blaring, and your love by your side, I don't know what it is!  We headed away from the coast on Sunday to visit a few of Monterey County's wineries. The weather was perfect, and the scenery spectacular:

   

    

We stopped at Paraiso Winery and Hahn Winery and had little taste of this, and a little taste of that.  We left Paraiso with some wonderful Port, and ordered some viognier (sp?), and cabnernet (I think that's what we ordered - after all that tasting, who cared?!)  from Hahn.  It made me laugh to myself as I kept remembering Miles and Jack in "Sideways".  In any case, it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

A Full Day in the California Sun

A few pictures to summarize Saturday - First a drive down the Moss Landing, CA for some antique shopping for my little shop space:

   

The picture above was apart of an antiques/junque enclave in Moss Landing.  The whole area was a funky mix of antiques, art, a high-end home furnishings store, and a couple of eateries.  Being in an entirely different part of the country provided a different mix of junque - in Maryland, we typically don't have the western/cowboy antiques, or the Hollywood memorabilia, or the artichoke (!) collectibles.  I picked up a brochure for the town of Moss Landing, and listed among the vendors providing services was one who advertised artichoke themed weddings.    We considered lots of options for our wedding, but I have to admit - an artichoke themed wedding was not one of them! The picture below is of the view I had from my outdoor table at The Haute Enchilada.  While not Tex-Mex, it was fabulous Mexican food, with the blackest black beans I've ever had.  The fountain flowed and gurgled while I ate, and birds stopped by to visit and to bathe.  After splashing around in the fountain, they flew to the top of the fence and fluffed out their feathers. 

After a morning of puttering around Moss Landing, I returned to Monterey.  When John finished his class for the day, we headed south to Pebble Beach.  What a beautiful place!

We drove along the famous 17 Mile Drive (along with a billion other tourists), watched the deer mingle with the golfers on the golf course, and ended up at the Lodge at Pebble Beach.  We were fortunate enough to score a table on the patio overlooking the 18th hole - so we had a drink and a snack and enjoyed the view.

From there, it was back to Carmel for some shopping - although, really it was just window shopping, because most shops closed at 5 pm, and we were just a little late.  That was fine with us, because Carmel's best product may well be the town itself - charming, interesting, and full of shops and cottages that looked like they were of another time and another place.  As sunset approached, we headed toward the beach to wait for a West Coast sunset:

   

We were not disappointed - Nature put on a spectacular show.

After that phenomenal production, we needed a post-theater meal, so we wandered back up the hill in Carmel, and discovered Il Fornaio a fabulous Italian restaurant - with excellent service, beautifully understated atmosphere, and food that was over-the-top.  If you're in the area, make plans to visit this restaurant!

From sun-up to sundown, Saturday was a pretty great day in Central California!                                                                                                                                                

Dinner with Clint

Friday evening, we left Monterey and headed south.  We knew where we wanted to have dinner but were in no hurry to get there.  As we tooled around Carmel, we stumbled upon this mission - the Mission de San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo (Carmel Mission). As it was almost 6 pm, the gates were closed for visitors, but we arrived just as the massive wooden doors closed.  As they were closing, we could hear the opening strains of Trumpet Voluntary.  Some lucky couple was being married that night in this beautiful chapel!                                                                                                                                             

On the advice of one of John's classmates, we went to Clint Eastwood's restaurant, Mission Ranch, for dinner Friday night.  We drove down the coastline first, stopping occasionally to admire the incredible scenery:

Finally our need for food overtook our need for more sightseeing, and we turned around and headed back to Mission Ranch.  Mission Ranch spent years as a working dairy, and after a series of events, was slated to be developed as a condominium complex.  Clint Eastwood stepped in, and bought the ranch and restored it to its original state (without the cows), using craftsmen to replicate moldings, and other details original to Mission Ranch.  Now it looks like it could have stepped from the screen in the original Parent Trap (the one with Hayley Mills - not Lindsey Lohan), and is charming in its simplicity.

When we arrived, we were told there was an hour wait, so we settled down with a glass of wine at the piano bar to people watch, and to wait for our table.  We'd been there about fifteen minutes when I looked out the window, and realized Clint was walking in.  This must be a fairly frequent occurence as no one got rattled, and swarmed him for photographs or autographs.  He came to the piano bar and sat with the people sitting next to me.  They were clearly friends, and though I didn't eavesdrop on their conversation, I couldn't help but overhear this - which may change the way I order hamburgers forever.  As he got up to excuse himself, he said in that distinctive musky voice:  "I've got to place an order. (pause) For a burger."  Say it out loud and put that pause in, and I swear it sounded like movie dialog!  You know "Do you feel lucky?  (pause) well  - do ya?"   It was awesome!  Anyway - eventually he went out to the deck to have dinner with golfing buddies, and we were seated inside next to the window.  In my have of thinking though, we were having dinner WHILE Clint was having dinner WHERE Clint was having dinner - ergo: We had dinner (and wine) with Clint! Doojie - there was no kiss for Clint from me - I was not quite as brave as you were!

   

California Fun

I flew into California on Thursday - arrived in San Jose and rented a car for the drive down to Monterey.

I was lucky enough to snag a convertible at the car rental office, and before you could say "FUN, FUN, FUN", I had that top down, radio blasting and I was headed south through Santa Cruz on my way to Monterey.  It was a beautiful afternoon - clear blue skies punctuated with the tall pines, and it smelled so good.  I suppose it's one of the tree varieties here, but to me it smells like fresh basil!  I arrived in Monterey while John was still in class, so I bought a coffee, and sat in the sun finishing up my re-reading of Cannery Row.  I had forgotten how much I loved this book when I read it right after college and reading it this time reminded me of the skill Steinbeck used in developing these characters.  He captured the feel of the Monterey Peninsula and wrote a love story to the quirky characters who inhabited Monterey during the height of the sardine canning industry. 

When John arrived, I found out that we were staying in what used to be the Del Monte Hotel - billed as the first luxury resort west of the Mississippi.

A beautiful example of early California spanish/mission architecture, it still retains a bit of its former glory.  Carvings on the outside of the building, meticulously maintained formal gardens and incredible wooden carved panels on the interior ceilings show the skill and attention to detail put into the construction of this fomer resort.  She's lost some of her former sparkle, and definitely shows her age - but she's still a elegant old building.

Yesterday while John was in class (poor guy), I explored downtown Monterey.  First stop was Fisherman's Wharf for some pictures:

In the middle of the pier on Fisherman's Wharf is this adorable coffee shop - small, cute and a source for bait and tackle (see the sign in the window?)

Then it was off to Cannery Road for some pictures.

Behind one of the hotels, stumbled upon these seals sunning themselves. That's actually a bit of a stretch - there was no sun to be seen, but these guys didn't care.  They'd stretch lazily, groan, and settle back down in new warm spot on a rock.  They looked like grumpy old men killing time in a downtown square.

Finally, a look at some of the amazing flowers that California produces:

More to come - including dinner with Clint... .

Busy Days

    

No lazy, hazy days for us - at least not yet!  But the busy has all been good stuff:  Friends and ice cream.

Swim meets:

 

Making preparations for an upcoming trip to California:

 

And catching up on the piles of laundry that accumulate when I'm not looking!  Happy Monday!