September Silliness - 2019 - Cozy Spot

It is September and that is the month when for the last 22 years we have been going to our cozy spot in the woods of Boulder Creek, CA.  My husband and his friend started a golf tournament there and it is such a beautiful, relaxing place.  I don't golf so I get to do my own thing while the guys are out on the links.  I do get together with the other wives but that is mostly in the evenings.  Introvert me loves the peace and quiet and the beautiful scenery. 

I tried to recreate a cozy spot in our backyard but when we cleaned it out and made room for the studio, things got moved around.  Besides, those chairs are old and worn out so they are on the way to the dump.

The backyard is still a work in progress so maybe I'll get a cozy spot again.  

Your pick one for today:  Floppy sun hat or golf cap?  Why?  You already know my answer!  Happy Wednesday.

June in Janet's World - Stream of Consciousness Saturday

Today's prompt from Linda is for/fore/four.  We get bonus points if we can use all of them.  Let's see what I can manage...

FOR the last 22 years every September we have been going to Boulder Creek, California for a golf tournament that my husband and his friend started.  I can easily remember how long it has been since our daughter was born the year before and she will be 23 in November.  Of course being the scrapbooker that I am, every year has been well documented.

The first year of the tournament.  Rachel was 10 months old. 

Hopefully you don't hear "Fore" too many times while hubby is swinging.  That's not a good shot!

I have not gotten to last years layouts yet, but I still have a few months.  

There are now four books filled with our adventures.  

I think I get my bonus points!   Have a wonderful Saturday!

July-Jinks - 2018 #SoCS Stream of Consciousness Saturday

Today's prompt from Linda G. Hill is "T, tea, tee" 

We just got back from our most recent Travel experience, visiting the in-laws in Oregon.  Our next planned vacation is not until September when we head for Boulder Creek so that my husband can play in the annual golf tournament he started with one of his friends.  There are lots of tees around then for sure.  Sometimes it is really hot and a tee shirt is all you need but I've been down there when the weather is chilly and more layers are definitely needed.

While at my mother-in-law's I was able to continue my habit of drinking some tea before bed, although she doesn't have the variety that I have here at home.  She did have some mint, which she doesn't like, so I drank that to get it out of her hair.  I really like the cranberry tea but haven't been able to find it lately.  I also like lemon, peach and raspberry. 

The biggest T that has happened around here is that our daughter has just been hired to be a Teacher's Assistant at a local elementary school!!  They hired her really quickly and even though she has not taught before, they counted the degree in Psychology that she obtained as a year's experience.  We knew that college would pay off! 

One final T before I go, my Sketchbook is in Toronto this weekend as part of the Sketchbook Project Mobile Library.  If you are in that area, stop by and check my book out!  

How about you...have a favorite Tea flavor?  Doing some Traveling?  Like a particular kind of golf tees?  Love to hear about it!  Make sure to go visit some of the other participants in the Stream of Consciousness Saturday gang. 

Fiddlin' February - 2018

Tell it Color, Day 10 -- Earth

A couple of years ago we took a helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon.  Talk about Earth's majesty.  My pictures don't do it justice but it was very impressive. 

In the midst of the dirt and rocks a cactus grows.

We are at a picnic lunch in the Grand Canyon.  He is my rock.   Almost looks like we are sitting in front of a painting huh? 

These are the hills in Nevada on the way home from Reno.  I love the different colors.  

My quiet little bit of peace on earth. 

From our rental at Boulder Creek last year.  Such a nice place to sit and be one with nature.  

My journal entry for today:

What speaks of the earth to you?  Ever been to the Grand Canyon?  Got a favorite spot to read and commune with nature?  Share!

Oh Man, It's October - 365 Pictures

It has been a while since I shared my 365 pictures.  Here are a few in no particular order:

#255 - I think I'm going to use this for my new logo.  Does it make you smile?

#275 - We lost another great one with the passing of Tom Petty.  We were fortunate to have seen him twice.  This is from 2014.  Wish I had better pictures but at least I have memories.

#270 - According to WordPress I have 51 followers!  People like me :)

#264 - I have four scrapbooks documenting our yearly trips to Boulder Creek for the golf tournament.

#280 - I love how my phone tells me where I want to go next and how long it will take to get there :)  But what if I'm not ready to go home yet?

#269 - Cards I made for my Etsy shop.  Some already sold!  Better hop on and grab yours quick!

#266 - My daughter was showing me the "fun" things you can do with snap-chat.  Using this for my September selfie because it makes my face look thin :)

#267 - I love these marshmallow bits!  So yummy.

#271 - My first paycheck from Michaels.  Dream job #2.

#274 - Lots of crafting, not just cards being made in preparation for my Holiday Boutiques coming up next month.  Some of this is on Etsy too!

#276 - We found out my husband's heart beats too fast and irregularly.  I thought he was just in love with me.  Turns out this is a medical condition.  We are handling it.

#279 - Book #17 in my Reading Challenge for the year.  Interesting tale about the dreams writers have.  Looking forward to reading the one by Stephen King.

#278 - October's Full Moon through the trees.  

#265 - This is a mini-album I made for a friend of ours who was celebrating his 60th birthday.  He owns a boat and I thought this would be cute for him.

#277 - Went to the Scorpion's concert and fell in love with one of their songs we had not heard before.

#282 - This is the setting sun.  The sky is orange and hazy because of the massive fires about 60 miles north of us.  We could smell the smoke and our daughter going to college at Sonoma State was told to evacuate.  She is safe and her area is okay to go back to but the damage is horrific.  She said she felt like she was driving out of the apocalypse. 

September Smiles - Boulder Creek Golf

For the last 21 years, every September we've been making a pilgrimage to the Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club for a golf tournament that my husband and his best friend started.

In 1985 we had been married for about a year and I found an advertisement in the AAA magazine about a three day, two night stay on a golf course in Boulder Creek, California.  I knew my husband liked to golf and while I didn't, I did love to spend some time reading and relaxing so I booked a mini-vacation for us.  It was a wonderful trip, but then the kids started coming so we didn't get a chance to go back.

Here we are on that first vacation.  Wish I still looked that young and thin!

Fast forward 10 years and we went back down to celebrate the birthday of our friend, Tony.  My mom watched our two kids so we could get away.  

It was just the four of us but we had such a good time we decided right then to book another trip for the following year.  I was seven months pregnant with our third child in 1996 but we went down anyway and the guys thought that it might be fun to start a little golf tournament.

In 1997 the first Gentleman's Invitational began.  There were five golfers and four of the wives came.  We brought our baby, Rachel, and she was so good.  

The age of computers had not fully taken over yet so the official scoring was done on a placemat in the restaurant.  My husband won that first year.

Since that time we have added some players and lost a few for one reason or another.  A couple of years my husband was not able to play because of his back issues but we usually went down anyway, just to enjoy the relaxing time with our friends.  How proud we were when our son took golf in high school and then began to come down and join the tournament as well.  We have had as many as 18 golfers!  Most of the wives come too and we have several traditions that we have formed over this time.  

First, I try to take a picture of all the golfers at the start of each tournament:

Most times I ride in the cart with my husband for at least the front nine holes.  I take as many pictures of the golfers as I can without getting in their way.

The first night we are there some of us go to a restaurant we love called Scopazzi's.  They are very accommodating for our last minute reservations and the food is delicious.  If you are ever down that way I highly recommend them. 

The next night we all get together for a pot luck.  Everyone brings an appetizer to share and we rotate hosting duties.  Some of us get 2 or 3 bedroom villas and it makes it easy to accommodate everyone.  Golf issues are discussed by the men but most of the time it is just catching up with each other to see what has been going on since the last September.

The final round of golf takes place on Friday morning and then we gather in the club house for the awards presentation and I take a picture of the winners.  Before everyone runs off until next year, I ask one of the staff to take a picture of our whole group together.   

One year, as I was putting the album together, I realized that a stranger had come and photobombed our group picture!  We must look like a fun bunch to be with.

In the middle picture, the guy on the end with the plus fours and tam o' shanter hat is not with our group!

Since it is a vacation for me, I also take pictures of the different villas we stay in and the beautiful scenery.  Most of the villas are very well kept, although we have had one or two over the years that needed some upkeep.  When we find a good one, we try to get it again the next year.

You can see the first two of the Boulder Chronicles on the table in the top picture.  

So far I have filled three scrapbooks and started a fourth!

Tony is the "Commissioner" of the tournament and he writes a recap of the scoring and highlights each year.  I add that to the end of the layout for that year and my books have become a definite source of reference for the happenings over the years.  Someone always asks, "When did we first start coming down here?" or "Remember that time when..."

This is a layout of the villas.

I really look forward to our September reunion and this year was no exception.  During the morning while the guys are golfing I sometimes bring my scrapbooking supplies and work on the albums.  This year I brought down a stack of magazines and went through them, pulling out the things I want to keep.  I went through 11 magazines and read through a book I had on blogging tips.  

How about you?  Golf in any tournaments?  Have a "September family" that you see yearly?  Love to hear about it!