The highlight of November was Thanksgiving. We spent the weekend in San Francisco with our daughter, Monique. It’s always a treat to drive over the Bay Bridge and see the city explode like a jewel in the mid-day sun after cresting the midpoint. I had hopes of capturing that image with my camera but just as I was about to take the picture, Fred had to swerve and the opportunity was lost. So all you get is the top of the bridge. 
After a wonderful day of good food, friends and old Christmas movies, we retired to an absent friend's volunteered apartment which was so much better than a hotel room (except for the modern 70’s couch which is perfect for a young person but hard on the backs of those over the . . . (hill? Nah.)
During our four day trip we went to the town of Bolinas on the coast of Marin north of S.F. We spent the afternoon on the beach, catching up with more friends. In late afternoon, it got chilly and we headed to dinner.
As I was searching the internet to find out the name of the restaurant we ate at (which I never did), I came across this blog about Bolinas that I found charming and interesting. You might want to check it out. I decided not to reinvent the wheel. This writer can give you the low down on Bolinas better than I could if I spent hours researching it:
http://teaandcookies.blogspot.com/2006/01/of-bolinas-brigadoon-and-baked-goods.html
On the drive back we skirted Mt. Tam (Tamalpais) on the coastal road, leaving those of us in the car some where between “When in the blankety blank will this drive around the hill be over,” to “Oh my god I’m going to lose my dinner.” We finally
crested Mt. Tam, crossed the Golden Gate and headed toward a more settled stomach.
One of the fun things to do on a Sunday morning in San Francisco is to hit the flea market and see what interesting things you might find.
After a wonderful day of good food, friends and old Christmas movies, we retired to an absent friend's volunteered apartment which was so much better than a hotel room (except for the modern 70’s couch which is perfect for a young person but hard on the backs of those over the . . . (hill? Nah.)
During our four day trip we went to the town of Bolinas on the coast of Marin north of S.F. We spent the afternoon on the beach, catching up with more friends. In late afternoon, it got chilly and we headed to dinner.
As I was searching the internet to find out the name of the restaurant we ate at (which I never did), I came across this blog about Bolinas that I found charming and interesting. You might want to check it out. I decided not to reinvent the wheel. This writer can give you the low down on Bolinas better than I could if I spent hours researching it:http://teaandcookies.blogspot.com/2006/01/of-bolinas-brigadoon-and-baked-goods.html
On the drive back we skirted Mt. Tam (Tamalpais) on the coastal road, leaving those of us in the car some where between “When in the blankety blank will this drive around the hill be over,” to “Oh my god I’m going to lose my dinner.” We finally
crested Mt. Tam, crossed the Golden Gate and headed toward a more settled stomach.One of the fun things to do on a Sunday morning in San Francisco is to hit the flea market and see what interesting things you might find.
After a bagel and some coffee (see blog #2 Backing up a day for the Bagel place) we headed for the flea market and wandered around for an hour or so.
I found a few old books, then came across a framed picture that got my attention, reminding me of the fairy tales I loved as a child. My first memorable literary experience was when my grandmother would take me to a local library in Queens, N.Y. once a week where a woman
would read stories aloud to children on certain days while our imaginations melted into the muraled scenes of those stories that covered the walls, many being fairy tales. That left a visual impression that has never dimmed.
I bartered with the owner of the print, telling here it was just a book plate and got it down to $3.00. After I got back to Fresno, I tore it out of its frame to reveal the artist, Josef Lada, and confirm that it was indeed a book plate (since the artist is a Chech artist I assume the writing on the back is also). After a morning of research, I learned Josef Lada’s paintings have reached iconic status in the Czech Republic – if you are interested to learn a little more, go to this link:
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/98151
I found a few old books, then came across a framed picture that got my attention, reminding me of the fairy tales I loved as a child. My first memorable literary experience was when my grandmother would take me to a local library in Queens, N.Y. once a week where a woman
would read stories aloud to children on certain days while our imaginations melted into the muraled scenes of those stories that covered the walls, many being fairy tales. That left a visual impression that has never dimmed.I bartered with the owner of the print, telling here it was just a book plate and got it down to $3.00. After I got back to Fresno, I tore it out of its frame to reveal the artist, Josef Lada, and confirm that it was indeed a book plate (since the artist is a Chech artist I assume the writing on the back is also). After a morning of research, I learned Josef Lada’s paintings have reached iconic status in the Czech Republic – if you are interested to learn a little more, go to this link:
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/98151
This print that is almost like the one I bought (the same little character smoking a pipe and sewing a shoe, sitting on a log hanging over a river--themes he repeats in his art).
And then I blinked, and it was Christmas. I leave you with another picture of Lada’s, an endearing Christmas scene.
