Resolve

I'm the kind of person who is always setting goals and resolving to make improvements on the work in progress known as Michal, so New Year's Resolutions are right up my alley. I really try to make them realistic, but some years I am better at that than others. Not to worry-- I'll be setting new goals soon if these don't take!:)

This year, I am making some "more or less" resolutions. Instead of saying never, always, or making specific requirements, I am resolving to do more of some things and less of others. Writing it down and publishing makes me accountable. I'm also going to post these somewhere in my bedroom (the short versions) so that I can see them frequently and keep my focus.

• Listen more-- to my children, my husband, and to the Spirit. This will also mean speaking less, and taking the time to really understand. It might even include listening to recounts of Arthur episodes or Calvin & Hobbes comics that I don't really care about, just because it is important to someone I love.
• Learn more-- from the scriptures, the words of living prophets, and out of the best books-- classics and other books that will help me be a better person. Right after I finish the Hunger Games trilogy:)
• Make more time-- to be the wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend that I want to be. This involves rushing around less, committing to less that will take me away from these important roles. I have been struggling for some time to figure out how to be less busy and to slow down. I think I've decided (for now at least) that I just need to make the time, take the time when I need it, regardless of the to-dos pressing down on me. I was inspired yesterday by a story I read about George Albert Smith, a very busy man and prophet in the 1940s. It spoke of an experience when he was running late to catch a plane, and came across a woman and her four children who were anxious to shake the hand of a prophet. He paused and spoke with each one individually, shaking their hands. This moment had great meaning in the lives of this family, and was time well spent. I also think of the Savior, who frequently took the time for individuals in the midst of all He was striving to do during his brief ministry. I hope I can follow these examples. 
• Show more gratitude-- to the Lord in prayer, by recording His blessings and tender mercies in my journal, and by sending thank you notes (something that I am terrible about).
• Spend more wisely-- money, time, and calories. I really want to be more mindful in these areas in order to:  afford a kitchen remodel I've been dreaming of (money), in order to accomplish all of my other goals (time), and in order to be healthier (calories).

What have you resolved to improve in 2012? I love hearing other people's goals and aspirations. Go on, inspire me!

Seasons Change

"To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Ecclesiates 3:1

Four years ago, we started a wonderful adventure that we hadn't anticipated: homeschooling. I knew at the time that it might not be the right thing for us for our kids' entire educational careers, but we knew it was the right thing for our family at the time. Over the past four years, I grew to love homeschooling and the lifestyle it allowed us. I loved the time together the most. Sure, we had plenty of spats, of teasing, of crying, of all the typical sibling conflicts and mommy meltdowns, but we also had lot of fun together, lots of spiritual experiences together, and lots of learning together. We learned to cooperate more and to deal with our differences in a way that we might not have done if we were all going our separate ways for most of the day.

This year, the direction we got from Heavenly Father was different. It made me feel sad, scared, nervous, excited (for them), guilty, hopeful, and a slew of other emotions. At first, we only had the guts to commit Henry and Ian to returning to school in a new charter school, but as the school year approached, we began to feel strongly that Kimball should participate as well. Much like our decision to homeschool four years ago, this decision was one that we spent lots of time praying and agonizing over, and in the end, proceeded with the confidence that it was the right choice for our family.

So, on the day after Labor Day (which is the perfect day to start school, by the way), our boys donned their new uniforms, grabbed their backpacks, lunch sacks, water bottles, and set off for school. I am sure that I was more nervous than they, and I am the only one who cried that morning. I managed to keep it to moist eyes until I kissed Ian good-bye in his first grade class and had to bolt out the door because Ugly Cry was coming on fast.

So far, we have been too busy to miss them much during the day. Bronwen did remind me the first day about 100 times to go get her brothers from school, but once her co-op preschool and ballet class started up, we found ourselves quite scheduled during the school day. I also jumped into the new charter school with both feet and took a big role on the fundraising committee as we did a huge kick-off fundraising dinner and auction event last weekend. People ask me what I am doing with the extra time I presumably have because I am not schooling my children all morning, but I haven't found any extra time!

The boys are all making new friends, rising to new heights, gaining confidence, and learning loads of interesting things every day. Kimball even moved up to 7th grade after three weeks in 6th! We are all adjusting to them having less free time and more homework and deadlines, but I remind myself that they are learning some discipline that wasn't necessary when I was their teacher. It is good for all of us.

I am so grateful for the homeschooling season of my life, and look forward to the ways that my family will be blessed by this new season. Will we ever return to homeschooling? Maybe. We're just taking it one year at a time. But for now, I know that my kids are just where they need to be, and that feels wonderful.

Faith in Motherhood

Having a journalist in the family is great for me, because she keeps me thinking. Of course I think every day, but Tam poses great questions about the things that she is thinking about and it stirs me to think about topics that I wouldn't necessarily be musing over at the time. Last week, she asked me and the other moms in her family and life what it means to us to be a mother of faith. I figure if I'm going to respond, I might as well do it here, so that you can start thinking about what it means to you to be a mother of faith (and share with us)!

First of all, I'd like to define faith for this discussion. When I speak of faith, I don't just mean that I adhere to a religion or belief system. I mean the deep down feeling, the conviction that I can never deny, that God is real. That He hears my prayers. That He loves and cares about little old me. That He will bless me as I do my best to follow Him. Faith to me means trusting God that He can see things beyond my own vision and that His Plan for me is greater than anything I could dream up. I have faith that Jesus Christ is who He said He is-- the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Prince of peace.

Now, how does that affect me as a woman and a mother? My faith in God truly affects every part of my life. Surely my faith had an impact on my decision to have children, particularly on the decision to start our family while Jared was still in graduate school and there were plenty of financial reasons to wait. Even now, I catch myself for a moment dreaming of how different our financial situation would be if I had stayed in the work force for five more years until Jared's practice was up and running-- but I wouldn't trade those five years for all the money in the world. We knew that it was the right time and that the Lord didn't want us to postpone our family for selfish reasons or to rely on our own strength. Surely I have been able to see the Lord's hand more clearly in my life because we needed Him more to provide for our needs at times.

I firmly believe that in becoming a mother, I am fulfilling my destiny; not a destiny that was forced upon me, but the plan that God had for me if I chose to accept it. And I feel myself growing and becoming the woman He would have me be through my mothering experience.

Motherhood has required leaps of faith on my part-- times when I had to trust and let go of fears that might hold me back. Making major moves, buying a home, accepting callings (or assignments) in the Church that were overwhelming, buying a practice, having another baby . . . and then another, pulling my kids out of public school -- all these and more have tested me and allowed me to prove God. He has blessed me in so many ways that I can't even express. I have never had cause to regret a single decision that I made based on faith-- and the sense that I knew what God wanted me to do, even if I couldn't see the why or how.

As a mother of faith, I accept the enormous responsibility of giving my children not only physical nourishment and love, but also to instill faith in them. This can be an overwhelming prospect if you let it be, but I have found that as I lean on the Lord for help, this comes naturally. Regular daily family scripture study and prayer have a huge impact, but so do the small, everyday moments when opportunities arise to teach a principle or share an experience with my children that has strengthened my faith. Moms of young children have the advantage of the fact that their children want so much to be around them, want to soak up everything they say, want to feel important and loved. Thus, they are easy to teach, for they make apt pupils. I know this will slip away a bit as they become teenagers and I must make the most of it now. What is, perhaps, more daunting, is knowing that my actions must teach my faith as well. I pray for strength to live up to the values that I hold dear and teach my children.

I have found that my mothering is vastly improved if I take time each morning to strengthen my faith through a study of God's word, prayer, and pondering on my life and His plans for me. I think it benefits me first and foremost because in this way I invite Him to participate with me in my mothering, but also because it reminds me of the big picture. Much of the daily work of motherhood may seem monotonous or menial, but when you have a clear perspective, even those tasks have a beauty and greater purpose. I find myself to be more patient, more able to listen to my children, and more in tune with the Spirit (some might call it with my intuition, but I think it is more than that) to know how to handle situations that arise.

Tam asked us: what is the most important thing about your faith that you want your kids to know? For me, it is that we can each have a personal relationship with Father in Heaven; that we each have access to His guidance and to feel of His love in our lives. I want my children to feel His power and have experiences that bring them to trust Him as I do. Then it will be their faith on which they rely and not mine.

I am so grateful for the way that my faith shapes my life and my values and for the way that it strengthens me and leads me to good things. I am grateful that because of faith, I am able to be brave in the face of hard things, to feel joy in the midst of trials, and to have hope in the future. Could I be a mother without faith? Sure. But faith makes me a much better mother than I could ever be on my own.

What role does faith play in your mothering? How does it change the way you mother? The way you think about yourself? Please share!

Strengthening Our Family

Our family has adopted a family theme, taken from The Family: A Proclamation to the World. We say it before our family prayer each morning and night, to remind us of our goals in building a stronger, happier family.

Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.

Strengthening our marriage and family is a constant desire of Jared's and mine. We know that it will bring greater joy into our lives than acquiring beautiful or luxurious things, than gaining the praise and acclaim of the world, and than visiting resorts or other such fabulous and expensive vacations. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these pursuits, but we know that if we choose to focus our energy and resources on having those things, we will be turning our focus away from the things that bring real joy.


We also believe that family relationships can endure into the eternities; thus, the investment we make in our family will not only bless us in this life, but also in the next.

The motivating factor for our recent road trip was a family reunion for my MIL's side of the family. We gathered together for a variety of "wholesome recreational activities" over the course of a few days, including a breakfast in the park, a trip to Temple Square, the baptism of my niece, dinner out, the children's gardens at Thanksgiving Point, and a few World Cup matches on TV.

Jared (only half-jokingly) corrects me whenever I refer to such trips as "vacations," that visiting family is never a vacation. Vacation is supposed to be relaxing, he tells me. Or at least seeing an exciting new place. Okay, a family reunion may not qualify under that definition. There is lot of work involved in gathering with so many people. There is patience required when you gather multiple family units together, when your kids (and everyone else's) are out of routine and sleep deprived, and when you try to get a big group to show up on time for anything-- even food. But the rewards are great. Some of my favorite moments of the reunion:

• Watching all the cousins singing together at Emma's baptism.
  
• Hearing Jared's younger cousins talking Star Wars with my boys-- which triggered Kimball announcing, "Teenage second-cousins are COOL!"
  
• Shooting off fireworks on July 3rd with all the kids chanting and cheering together, interspersed with singing patriotic hymns.
• Visiting the children's exhibit at the Church History Museum. The children had a great time exploring while many of the adults caught up after being apart for years.
• Having my children be so sad when it was all over. This may seem like a strange favorite, but I am delighted that they love their extended family so much. That was the point of it all, wasn't it?

Some day we'd love to go on a family reunion cruise or spend our vacation exploring the ruins of ancient Rome, but I am pleased that our family can gather with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents to make memories and forge relationships that will last forever.

What are some things that you do in your family to make it stronger and happier? And what are some wholesome recreational activities that your family enjoys together?

Stephanie Nielsen: My New Life

Have you see this yet? I love reading Stephanie's story because she has such an amazing, grateful, inspiring perspective on motherhood. Here she tells her story, speaks of her blessings, her trials, and of her testimony of Jesus Christ. Prepare to be inspired and feel grateful for the life you've been given.

My Happy List

During our morning gospel study, Kimball and Henry and I each made a list in our journals entitled: Things That Make Me Happy. We then read 2 Nephi 11:4-7 to see what was on Nephi's "happy list".

Henry said as we opened the scriptures, "Let's see if we can get some inspiration from Nephi. Maybe I need to add his list to my list." I thought it was adorable and was, of course, precisely the point of the whole exercise!

Anyhow, I thought I'd share my happy list with you. This is what makes me happy today, although I reserve the right to add to it at any time!

• children giggling
• chubby baby legs
• cuddling
• strawberries
• late night talks with Jared about our plans, hopes, dreams, future
• going to the temple
• having uninterrupted time to pray
• Mack Wilberg arrangements of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• visiting out-of-town family/cousins
• springtime
• having my mom, sister, and in-law parents live locally
• succeeding in keeping my temper with my kids
• "I love you" and "thank you"
• a good book and time to read it
• hearing my kids bear their testimony
• a weekend away with my husband
• the way my toes look after a pedicure
• when my kids are getting along and enjoying each other
• General Conference
• Jared's breakfasts (even better when I get to sleep in and wake up just in time to eat)
• my covenants
• The Plan of Salvation

What's on your happy list?

When Easter Sunday is Conference Sunday

So, twice a year in our church, we have what is called General Conference. It falls on the first Saturday and Sunday in April and October. We don't attend our regular church meetings, but instead tune in to a broadcast from Salt Lake City in which the leaders of the Church address us.

They discuss issues that are important, even vital to all of us. Each one prepares a talk independent of the others, without collaboration or assignment. And yet time after time there are recurring themes. The overwhelming theme this time was one near and dear to my heart: the importance of teaching our children the gospel, of showing them love, of strengthening our children and families. (If you'd like to listen to, watch, or read any of these talks, go here. They are available in almost any language you can think of.)

As we sustain them as prophets and apostles, called by God to teach us of His will, you can imagine how much these weekends mean to us.And once in every few years, Conference Sunday and Easter Sunday are one and the same.

That means that we don't go to church in our new Easter clothes. We watch the morning session in our pajamas and don't get dressed at all until noon. I love everything about it except for the lack of Easter family pictures.

So, I snapped a few candids instead last week. You can get a glimpse of what Conference looked like at our house. You will not see us all together in a photo, nor will my boys be in fresh pressed button-down shirts. Oh well! Maybe next year.

I love that you can catch a glimpse of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in that last one.
Can I tell you what a sucker I am for sister pictures? You knew that, didn't you?

We often give the kids their Easter baskets on Saturday, but this year we kept the candy to a minimum and since we weren't going to church we let them have them Sunday morning. Their candy was gone before I even got out of bed! We also borrowed an idea from a friend's blog and lined the hallways and family room with pictures of the Savior after the kids went to bed on Saturday. I loved it and will do it again. They loved looking at each picture and telling the story (or asking the story) of what happened there.


Look at this little muffin. Couldn't you just eat her up? I mean, really!

From Russia, With Love

Fourteen years ago this month I returned from spending the better part of 18 months in Yekaterinburg and Ufa, Russia as a missionary for my church.

Two Siberian winters.
One hotter-than-I-expected summer.
Four phone calls home.
One 24-hour train ride across the snowy Siberian landscape. (From Novosibirsk to Yekaterinburg.)
Nine companions.
Hundreds of Books of Mormon given away.
One girl-turned-woman, changed forever by her experiences there.
Hundreds of new friends made, many who entered the waters of baptism.
Thousands of prayers uttered.
One language learned well enough to speak, teach, understand, dream, think, and still make mistakes. A language to fall in love with.
Layers upon layers of clothing, hats, scarves, tights, long underwear, and fur-lined boots.
One future husband met (although I had no idea at the time.)
And countless bowls of borscht.

One day maybe I'll post about how I cried the first time I went to the grocery store after coming home. Or how I spoke to the German flight attendant (who spoke flawless English) in Russian. Or about h0w very strange it felt to be alone after having a 24/7 companion for over a year and a half. It's not easy to come home from a mission. I was so comfortable being Sister Johnson that I wasn't completely sure I wanted to go back to being Michal.

This is not a 30 minute meal, but it is worth the labor of love to have a bowl of great borscht once in a while. Today was one of those days: the weather was cool and overcast, I had nowhere we needed to be, and I had fresh cabbage and beets in my fridge from my organic produce delivery this week, plus some leftover dill from pickles we made a week or two ago. It had to be borscht.

Babushka's Borscht
Makes 8-10 generous servings

• 8 c. beef broth
• 2 lbs. chuck (diced) or stew meat
• ¼ c. flour
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3 large beets
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• ½ head cabbage, shredded (about 3-4 cups)
• 3 T. unsalted butter
• 2 T. flour
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes OR 2 cups fresh tomatoes peeled and diced
• ¼ c. lemon juice (or juice of one lemon)
• 2 T. fresh dill, chopped
• 2 T. fresh parsley, minced finely
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Sour cream and chopped fresh dill, to serve

Trim ends off beets and scrub gently under cold running water. Place in saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. When cool, peel and coarsely grate beets and set aside.

Dredge the beef in ¼ cup flour and brown in 2 T. olive oil in large saucepan. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to a high simmer and add garlic, potatoes, and ½ c. onions. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add cabbage and cook for another 10 minutes. Add beets and reduce heat to low simmer.

In large frying pan, melt butter over medium high heat and sauté remaining onions until soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add flour and stir constantly until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, dill, and parsley, and stir well. If too thick, add a few tablespoons of water. Cook for 10 minutes, then add to the broth, mixing well. Salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 15 additional minutes, stirring frequently. Serve hot. Garnish individual servings with a generous dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of minced dill.

Serve with dark Russian rye bread, or with the cabbage peiroshki that I made. But that's another recipe for another post.

Oh, Russia, how I miss you!

Peace at Christmas?

Most people will tell you that the Christmas season is their favorite time of year. The beautiful lights and decorations, the festive music playing everywhere, the parties, the food, the presents, the time spent with family—indeed, there is something magical about Christmastime.

For some of us, particularly mothers, Christmas is also the busiest time of year. We make lists and check them twice, then three times. We fuss about the decorations and lights; we schedule the parties we want to throw and those we want to attend; we bake more than any other time of year for events at church, school, and work, for our neighbors and friends; we plan, shop for, and wrap countless gifts; we plan activities for our families to soak up the season; we do something special for those less fortunate. All this service to our family and others should be richly fulfilling, and yet we often end up feeling exhausted and let down (and a little relieved) when the season wraps up. That’s not what Christmas should be about. There is no peace in the running ragged that I catch myself doing in December in an attempt to do it all.

Today I wanted to focus on bringing peace to our season of celebration. The angels who sang at the birth of Jesus proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14) Centuries before His coming, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). And during His earthly ministry, Christ taught his disciples, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace” (John 16:33).

Christ offers us peace if we will but turn unto Him. We often think of turning to the Lord for peace during times of trial and suffering, but we can and should look to Him every day for peace in our lives.

In my own life, I have seen a direct correlation between me making the effort to seek the Lord’s guidance and spirit through prayer and scripture study and the peace I experience in my daily activities.

Galations 5 teaches: “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance . . .” As a mother, I desperately need those things in my life, and yet when life gets hectic, the simple acts of calling on the Lord and seeking to know His will are sometimes neglected. Instead, I race from one thing to the next, snapping at my husband and children because I feel overwhelmed with all I have to accomplish. Later, when I find myself on my knees, begging for the Lord’s assistance as I struggle to cope with my day, he gently reminds me that I rushed up and out that morning, plunging right into my to-do list and responsibilities without first seeking Him. Again. Why must we learn the same lessons over and over?

Christ has said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelations 3:20). Are we too busy to hear him knocking? We believe in Him, but are we opening the door and letting him in to sup with us?

In these final days leading up to Christmas, I want to challenge myself and each of us to set time aside each day to ponder the great gift of our Savior; to read of His birth, His life, and His marvelous atonement; and to pray to our Heavenly Father, offering thanks for the gift of His Son. Then, we will have his peace in our hearts. Then we will be better able to give of ourselves to our family and friends. We will be better equipped to choose wisely how we spend our precious time and energy. We will feel true joy, happiness, and peace that can come only from the Savior of the World. As Christ taught His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:27).

I know that He lives and loves us. I know that He desperately wants to give us the peace that He promises, that our hearts may no more be troubled. I know that He is the Savior of the world, without whom all would be lost. I am so grateful for His willing sacrifice so that we might have eternal life; and that, though I stumble and make mistakes constantly, He continues to stand at the door and knock for me.

Musings and Ramblings

I was a little uncomfortable with all the "atta girl" comments in the past few days regarding my work on Prop 8. And after re-reading my last post, I fear that it may have sounded like I was asking for them. I just want to take a moment to say that this effort passed because of the sacrifice and work of over 100,000 people like me-- and many of them did much more than I did. I was a little drop in a big bucket, but felt compelled to share some of the ins and outs of how our grassroots effort brought about success.

It has been exciting to be a part of something so much bigger than myself, yet something that I care so deeply about. And though I object to the claims that the LDS Church was overstepping its bounds by calling its members to get involved and to "give [their] best efforts" to helping Proposition 8 pass, I will admit that I don't think it would have passed without the involvement of so many members of the Church. We have the spirit of volunteerism and consecration, but also the organization already in place to participate effectively in a grassroots effort.

And yet, this was not passed by Mormons alone. We are responsible for a very small percentage of the population here, and were a part of a larger coalition of other churches. It was a privilege to work alongside other people of faith, who saw the long reaching impact on our society and children of preserving traditional marriage.

With that being said, some reports I read (and the tasteless commercial that aired on the day of the election) accused the "Mormons" of trying to force our beliefs on others in regards to same sex marriage. Um, the last time I checked, Californians were free to choose and vote as they see fit. Those who rallied around Prop 8 were striving to educate, but we were instructed to never argue or to become heated in any way when talking to our fellow citizens about this issue. I fail to see how our involvement in speaking out to defend what we believe in is any different from the people of the gay and lesbian community speaking out about what they believe to be their right. We have the same freedom of speech and freedom of religion that they enjoy.

I know that some call us old fashioned for our beliefs. Chastity is not in vogue. Modesty? An archaic ideal, rejected even for our young daughters and not just for adults. Integrity also seems to be fading fast as a sought after quality, as cheating is on the rise from elementary schools to universities to Wall Street. But I am thrilled that the majority of Californians (arguably one of the most "progressive" states in the Union) still believe in marriage between a man and a woman. Those marriages may not always be perfect. Too many end in divorce. But it is the fundamental building block unit of our society (not the individual--the family) and we need to be striving towards the ideal that every child deserves a mother and a father who are married to each other and completely loyal to one another. Children thrive in that environment. They develop healthy attitudes about relationships, sexuality, and their own self esteem. They desire to have a marriage and family of their own someday. And thus, society prospers and continues on.

And that's the bottom line.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

So, Jared & I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary at the beginning of the month (as you already know if you read my blog.) We were determined to do something to celebrate it that involved leaving our kiddos with someone else, but as it approached we could think of lots of other things that we needed to spend our money on more than a getaway to somewhere fabulous. We have always been full tithe payers, but have lately been really asking the Lord to "open the windows of heaven and pour [us] out a blessing." (Malachi 3:10)
So, regarding this wedding anniversary, it seems that tithing blessings kicked in to make it nicer that the money we had to spend on it. First, I received a gift card in the mail (as a thank you for helping with Laura's wedding) to the Cheesecake Factory, a chain restaurant we enjoy, which we used on the night of our actual, mid-week, anniversary. We were out $18 for a babysitter, but not bad for an evening out sans children.
Then, we remembered that we had already paid several months ago for a night at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco. We'd stayed there once before and I loved the location and the bedding--those people know their linens! So we decided to go for one night and stay there, then spend all day Saturday in SF before going home. Not an entire weekend getaway, but still a nice break from the routine. Plus, we spent three days of our honeymoon in SF so it seemed appropriate. Total cost (now) on the room for us: 13 cents for some random tax.
Then, Jared's patient who owns a limo service and trades with us from time to time asked Jared if he'd like to use the limo again. So, at no cost to us (except the trade) we got a ride into town and to dinner on Friday night, then picked up again on Saturday evening to go home. That meant no gas, no tolls, and no ridiculous SF parking (our hotel alone charged over $30 per night for parking.) Even the tip was part of the trade. Cha-ching. (Special bonus: no bickering over directions as we navigate a lesser-known city--priceless.)
We hit up Jared's parents to watch the boys while we were gone and paid them later in chocolate. Not a bad deal (for us, that is.) The boys can't wait for us to leave again, since Grammy and Papa took them to the circus and they had a marvelous time.
We went to dinner Friday night at a favorite Italian place, Lupa Trattoria in Noe Valley. We love their food and they always treat you like old friends, even if it's your first visit. The owner and chef actually greeted us at the door! (The photo to the left is of our appetizer--bosc pears wrapped in marscapone, then in prosciutto. Very good.)While we were eating some other patrons nearby kept ogling Bronwen (yes, we did take the baby--it was asking too much to leave her with the grandparents when she's still positively awful on a bottle.) They came up at one point and told us how much they missed their children's baby days--all teenagers now, of course. Later (after they'd had a bit too much wine,) one of them came back over and asked to touch her hair and showed us pictures of his children, etc. etc. Much to our surprise, when it was time to pay, the server announced that our bill had been taken care of by the other table! Chalk another one up for tithing!
The next day we wandered through the Ferry Building Marketplace, which is a foodie's paradise. On Saturday mornings there is a local farmer's market there, and inside the Ferry Building there are all sorts of specialty shops for artisan cheeses, wines, chocolates, breads, oils, pastries, and flowers. We sampled a few different things there and then made our way down the Embarcadero towards Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf (yes, totally touristy, but it was all within walking distance and it's fun to do once in a while.)
Among other things on the Pier we stopped to talk to the market researchers there and Jared qualified to do a one hour fast food taste test for a $100 pay out. At first, we thought we would both get to do it, but having the little tyke along was a problem, so I found a quiet spot to feed her while Jared did the taste test. I felt bad for him having to fill up on fast food when we were eating our way through town, but he was willing to take one for the team. (In the end they didn't need him, but paid him anyway, so he only spent 20 minutes and didn't have to sample any gross fish sandwiches, McRibs, or new-fangled fast food salads.)
All in all, we had a lovely time. We did a lot of walking, ate some of our favorite San Francisco food, enjoyed the out of doors and a Saturday that wasn't full of laundry, grocery shopping, and vacuuming. We ate in nice restaurants, picked up a few things shopping (including a "genuine" Coach wallet for $10, a gorgeous hand-silk-screened shirt sold on the street, lots of overpriced chocolate, and some used books from Helper's Bazaar, (where I got to meet the locally famous fashionista and philanthropist Joy Bianchi. She said, "You're a book person? I like book people. Come next door and let me show you some really special things." Next door, I got to see the upscale version of her shop, with vintage couture dresses, hats, and jewelry. When I googled it later, I found that was even cooler than I knew at the time.) And we did all of this for very little cash out of pocket.
Let's hear it for tithing!