Church Bells and Butterfly Kisses
A week ago I drove 150 miles to cuddle some grandbabies and read a book.
It could have been any book but this was the one I was handed.
My youngest daughter has blessed me with my youngest grandchild. We had a great visit as I got to meet our latest addition to the family.
As this was my vacation as well, I stayed two nights at the Carter House in Eureka. My room was on the top floor of this Victorian replica. Mr. Carter found the plans for the Victorian Home in 1978 at a charity shop. It was the plans for a home that had burned in the San Francisco Fire of 1851. He created this as a family home and later turned it into a Bed and Breakfast. That was not all he did. He also built a hotel of the same vintage diagonally across the street. On my previous visit I stayed on the 2nd floor of the hotel for one night. There is a lift in the hotel to assist in taking up your luggage. I was glad that I did not pack too heavy last weekend as there is no lift in the Carter House Home. My room was on the back side behind the fireplace! I got my exercise walking the 2 1/2 flights of stairs after entering the front door.
This was the view from the Breakfast room of the hotel featuring lavender and California poppies across the street. The hotel provides a complementary beer or wine in the evening and a very fine breakfast. On my last night I also enjoy a local Gin tasting with another couple that was visiting from Palm Springs. On my next visit I hope to visit the Blue Lake distillery that produces the Jewell Gin. It has a unique taste of anise.
The Otters were very playful as we entered the zoo at 10 a.m. The only drawback to the adventure was that 2 school buses of children had arrived as the local schools were still in session. We got to see all of the zoo critters and some human critters acting out as well.
After the zoo we went to Babe's Pizza in Eureka. I highly recommend their gluten free crust. Most of the gluten free pizzas I eat are not that good when you warm them up. I nibbled on the pizza through out the day when we got back to their house and it warmed up nicely. I was not disappointed.
After a wonderful day with my family I returned to my temporary nest to read and relax before the drive home the next day. On Tuesday at breakfast I prayed for the Lord's leading in where I might go on the way home.
Without GPS guidance I found myself outside St. Bernard Catholic Church. It was built in 1886 and has the Gothic Revival interior with all redwood beams. It rivals churches I have seen on YouTube in France.
I spoke with the ladies in the office and they allowed me to go into the church. It was lite only by the windows which do not have the pictures of Saints as we have at Saint Luke's, but there were beautiful paintings on the walls and ceilings. It always amazes me the craftsman ship required to not just paint a fantastic picture but to do it on your back as Michael Angelo did.
As I knelt in prayer the church bells chimed 10 a.m. It was time for me to find my way home. I flipped on the local radio station as I left Eureka and heard an advertisement for the Plaza on the Plaza in Arcata. This is a fun shop that I always enjoyed visiting with my daughter back in her university days. I found the perfect Father's Day gift just as the advertisement had suggested.
Heading home I visited with our parishioner who lives in Weaverville and had a nice chat. I did not run into any deer on the road but found an entire heard eating in a yard above the road inside a fence. That made me very happy as I have seen numerous deer along the road leaving Weaverville through the years.
I picked Molly up the next day and she was very chatty about her stay at the Kitty B & B. Country Aire Pet Resort is the best place for my little buddy to be while I travel. We went to Trader Joe's to fill up the fridge and she got to say, "Hi!" from her crate to a few friends.
The last four days I have been getting over a cold in my head. Tomorrow I will return to my custodial duty for the next 7 weeks.
This morning I trimmed my Native Bunch Grass...
and my echeveria succulent is blooming for about the forth time.
The Chrysanthemum that blew off my porch with the pot breaking to smithereens in March has definitely survived the replanting. It gets so hot, I am not sure how I will keep it alive through the next few month. Any readers with ideas let me know. Keeping it inside is not an option with Molly.
So, my summer break from school has begun eventful, though I wish a summer cold was not part of the events. I have four more weeks of university classes before a 4 week break, then Fall classes begin in mid-August about the time students will return to my school. Meanwhile, Molly and I will seize the day. Every day is a gift and I must refuel my soul for the upcoming school year.
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