Don't Fly off the Mountain!

Hi and happy Tuesday everyone! Pull up a chair, let's have a little cup 'o' coffee and chat. I have a fun story to tell.

Last Thursday, my mom and I made a trip to Palm Desert to visit my Grandma Pearl who is battling some very tough health issues. You can read more about the amazing Pearl and about the trip HERE. She and my Grandfather live in a beautiful community with a pool, country club, golf course, and impeccable kempt grounds.

Okay, now for the story.

To get to Palm Desert, you take the Highway 74, part of which is traveling over the big winding roads of a mountain. I get car sick easily so I am not a fan of this part of the drive, but it really is beautiful. There was snow on the side of the roads at the highest point, and the lower parts were sprinkled with purple and yellow wildflowers. The view down into the desert is gorgeous.

On the drive back up to mountain on the way home, I wanted to make a stop at the viewpoint to take a photo of the view. There was a big storm brewing, and it was incredibly windy. I opened the car door and it flew wide open, and my mom was apprehensive to even let me out.

"I don't want you to get picked up and blown off the mountain!!"

"I'll be fine mom, don't worry"

Well, attempt one, fail: just walking to the lookout wall I was getting a not-so-polite push by the wind. When I took photos, hair was flying every which direction so the photos consisted of the view blocked by wisps of brown hair. I felt like I would be picked right up (yes it was that strong) so I hurried back to the car. But me being me, I wanted that photo! I found a hair clip (take note...always, always have a hair clip for unforeseen weather conditions) and prepared to brave it again.

Meanwhile, a van pulled up beside us, two men got out carrying a large wooden chair and placed it atop the wall. My mom and I watched in horror...

"oh my god! They are going to sit on that chair, fly off and we are going to see someone die!"

I got out of the car again, and walked over to the men. It went like this:

Me: "What are you guys doing??"

Gustaf: "We design furniture using wine barrels, and we like to take photos of them in unusual places. We are on our way to deliver one in Palm Desert."

Me: "Oh thank god, I thought you were going to sit in it!"

Gustaf: "Oh...we are!"

Me: "But you are going to fly right off the mountain!"

Gustaf: "Nah...it's heavy."

They were very nice, I took a few photos before being totally freaked out I would die, and they even let me use them as a human wall to brace myself against. Unfortunately because of the wind I could not get high enough to show the scale of it, but on the other side of the wall it is a major major drop and had that chair blown away, well that would have been the end of Gustaf. Trust me on this...you would have freaked out too. Their company is called Barrelly Made It and the furniture is gorgeous, you can see more of their products HERE.

When I got back into the car, my mom said she was sweating because she was so afraid I would get blown away. But I lived to tell the tale!

Thanks to Amy at Lucky Number Thirteen for hosting coffee today!!

Coffee Date - Spring is in the Air

I knew you were coming over today for coffee, so I went all out. Peppermint mochas with homemade whipped cream. Soo tasty! So how are you? Happy Tuesday, glad you could stop by! Things have been pretty busy around here. A new puppy in the household, Ella, keeps us on our toes. She is absolutely adorable, but right there in that puppy phase...biting, chewing, potty training, getting into trouble. But look at that face!

The first day of Spring brought with it a huge rainstorm. Crazy winds and a solid sheet of water pouring down. What is spring looking like where you are? Love the color starting to emerge with the new flowers! It is hard for me to not buy every type of Easter candy from the store, all those chocolate eggs are calling my name! I will give it another week or so. I love the whopper eggs, the Reese's eggs, and the Cadbury eggs. And they have so many jelly beans now! Starburst, Jolly Rancher, sour patch kids?? Am I too old for an Easter egg hunt?

I want to share this recipe I got from my mom and tried out yesterday. Easy to make and very tasty! You could substitute any flavored jam you have, same with the nuts. I used part cherry and part raspberry jams.

::Crumb-Topped Pecan Cherry Cereal Bars::

{Ingredients}

1 cup all-purpose flour (or you could use whole wheat)

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup puffed rice cereal (regular or brown rice)

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 (10-ounce) jar cherry all-fruit spread

{Instructions}

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch-square baking pan

2. combine flour, oats, puffed rice, pecans, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl

3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, oil, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well-blended and creamy. Add dry ingredients until dough forms. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the dough for the topping. Firmly press remaining dough evenly into bottom of pan.

4. Spread fruit spread evenly over dough in pan. Sprinkle reserved dough mixture over the top. Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden. Cool 15 minutes and slice into bars or squares.

So tell me...what is new and exciting (or old and boring) in your life?

I have to get going, I am off to aquatic physical therapy, this will be my third week. I love being in the pool but it really takes it out of my and makes me extra sore. But crossing my fingers it helps in the long run!

Thank you for stopping by, have a wonderful week, and thank you to Amy for hosting Virtual Coffee!

From Trains to Cancer to Reunions

Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is going well so far. Thank you for stopping by for coffee (or tea!) I am drinking raspberry tea. If we were really meeting for coffee I would tell you to come on over here. It's a beautiful day here with birds chirping away in the backyard, the sun peeking through the trees, the air crisp. I have two questions...do you want coffee or tea? And, are you up for hearing a story?

{Me, Aunt Lori, Emily before the start of our very first Just the Girls Road-trip, 1998}

For years, Aunt Lori, my cousin Emily, and I took an annual trip called "Just the Girls Road-trip." The first trip took place in 1998, when I was 10 and Emily was 8. Only the first year did we take an actual road trip, driving from San Clemente, CA (southern California) to Vancouver, Washington, making many stops along the way. The following years included a cruise to Mexico and Catalina Island; a weeklong stay in a cabin in the Big Bear mountains; a trip to visit potential colleges for me in California, Oregon & Washington; and a few other wonderful trips.

In the spring of 2000, we took an emergency "Just the Girls" trip. I had been diagnosed with Leukemia in January and we wanted to squeeze in another before I had to surrender to the cancer and begin my treatment regimen in May.

The plan was an oh-so-exciting train trip from southern California to Beaverton Oregon, for a week-long stay with my Aunt Carol & Uncle Bob & cousin Bobby. At age 12 and 10 Emily and I were in heaven, sleeping in the train overnight...it felt like such an adventure! They had a viewing car made of nothing but windows to watch the scenery go by. A movie theater with a huge screen and comfy red chairs. A snack car, a lounge area with games and books, and the dining car where we would order a slice of the decadent chocolate fudge cake after every dinner. We had a blast in Oregon and when the time came to leave we were sad to go but ready for home.

While we waited for our train to arrive in the station, Aunt Carol spotted a Susan Branch book on one of the tables. Aunt Carol is a huge fan of her artwork, owns many of her books, and as a seamstress and quilter, loves her fabrics. It was her newest book at the time and Aunt Carol picked it up, flipping through like a kid, as we all oohed and ahhed. Then we heard someone say something and we all looked up to see Susan Branch herself! Aunt Carol was starstruck. Apparantly Susan Branch was waiting in the station with a friend, and had signed the book to give as a gift. We all had a laugh, and then said our goodbyes.

One of the beautiful aspects of train traveling is all the people you meet. They seat you with strangers during meals to make use of the space and fill up the tables. Later that night at dinner, we were seated at the same table as Susan Branch, completely by chance. We had a wonderful time with her, and spoke with her more through the trip. She was so warm and friendly, and eventually Aunt Lori told her all about my being sick and the upcoming transplant. When the trip was over, we were happy to be home and had plenty of stories to tell and memories to keep. But now it was time to focus on the next journey, and this one wouldn't be so fun.

During my treatment I was always amazed at the generosity of strangers. I received encouraging letters, gifts, etc. from people I had never met or spoken to. It was one of the things that really carried me through - knowing how many people were thinking about me and pulling for my well-being. But when I received a huge package with "Susan Branch" on the return label, I couldn't believe it. Inside was a 12x12 scrapbook album, all the supplies - papers, stickers, die cuts, stamps, markers, etc - that would ever need to fill it, plus more. She included a handwritten note inside about how wonderful it was to meet us, and suggested I use the album to document our recent trip.

Instead I used the supplies to make an album of my transplant experience. Pages filled with the cutting of my hair in preparation of losing it, radiation treatment, my stay in the hospital, activities that kept me busy during my stay, my nurses and doctors, visitors, favorite cards I received, milestone bloodwork, etc. It is one of my most treasured possessions...the album tells my story of that time through the eyes of a 12 year old girl faced with a life-threatening illness. Without that generous gift from Susan it never would have happened. I look back through the album and I can instantly feel the pain and the vulnerability I felt during that time in my life. It The note from Susan is tucked in the back of the album so I can always remember her generosity.

In May 2010 I had the 10 year anniversary of my cord blood transplant. It was filled with surprises, one of which was a congratulatory card from Susan Branch. I was so surprised and felt honored that she remembered me a decade later. You can read about my anniversary party HERE.

{The card from her on my 10th anniversary}

Last night Aunt Lori, Emily, and I had the opportunity to reconnect with Susan Branch. 11 years later we were sitting listening to her tell her life story. She was so funny and had a way of painting such a mental picture in my mind as she spoke. I could picture the oak tree underneath which she said her marriage vows. I could picture the small house she bought in Martha's Vineyard with the 1950's gas stove and the rows and rows of old books left behind by the previous owner. Afterward we spoke with her and it was fun to reminisce about our first meeting on the train.

{Aunt Lori, me, Susan Branch - March 7, 2011}

On the drive home I was thinking about how much has changed over the past 11 years. I fought cancer, I graduated high school, I went to college, I moved around, I traveled to Africa for my make-a-wish, traveled to Germany, Mexico, visited new states in the U.S., celebrated milestones such as birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, I had 4 knee surgeries, I fell in love with my physical therapist, discovered my passion for photography and baking, and much, much more. Yet when we spoke again with Susan Branch, it felt like nothing had changed and that train trip was so recent. We have gone through the ebb and flow of life, and while circumstances have changed drastically, we are still our same selves.

{Signed book from last night's event}

{Above: The front cover of the album from Susan Branch

Below: Some pages from inside the album}

I hope you enjoyed the story, thanks for listening! I hope you all have a wonderful week, thanks for stopping by! XO

Thanks to Amy for hosting Virtual Coffee!

For more of Susan Branch you can visit her website HERE.

March 1 Coffee Date!

It didn't hit me until last night that February had come to a close and March was upon us. February flew by SO fast, but hello March! And hello friends, glad you could make it for coffee! The weather has been so beautiful here we could even sit on the back patio and drink our coffee/tea. Which mug I choose in the morning largely depends on my mood at that time. This, the "Aloha from Maui" mug is for when I am daydreaming about a getaway. Have you ever been to Maui? I have been once...just thinking of it I can feel the warmth of the sun and the see the crystal clear water. This morning I switched my calendars to March and I had forgotten that March was the month that my photo was chosen for the calendar made by the photography club I belong to - Photographic Art Club (PAC).

If we were really meeting for coffee I would ask you about your weekend. Mine was absolutely wonderful, possibly life-changing you could say. Saturday was my first paid photography job. It was for an 80th birthday party of a friend of a friend and when they were in need of a photographer, I was suggested. I was nervous and excited, but it went so well, I had a blast, and I was on such a high all day I immediately wanted to do another event. I have quite a few family portrait sessions lined up, and I can't wait. I will post more details about the party later.

The party ended just in time so that afterward I was able to surprise my friend Megan at her birthday dinner. Megan and I tell people we have been friends since before we were born. Our parents lived next door to each other while our moms were pregnant with us, and we have been best friends ever since.

Did you watch the Oscars? I get so excited for them. Growing up, my mom and her friend used to throw a big party where everyone brought food that was related to the movies. For example,

mini hot dogs for Full Monty, A pizza with squiggles of toppings to resemble a Jackson Pollack painting for Pollack, A platter of tacos and hamburgers with a border of lettuce down the middle for Traffic, lots of shrimp for Forrest Gump, a piano cake for Piano, Giant chocolate cake for Chocolat, chocolate mice for Shakespeare in Love, Mint Juleps for Seabiscuit...the list goes on. Brent and I had my brother and his girlfriend Andrea (and their new puppy, Chinook) over for dinner and a competitive ballot race. We are all pretty competitive, but Brent won and beat me by ONE point! I love to play fashion police, texting back and forth with my mom about the hits and misses. My favorite dresses were Hailee Steinfeld, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry, Hillary Swank, and Gwyneth Paltrow. The worst in my opinion? Melissa Leo (my mom said she looked like a 70's Elvis), Cate Blanchett (like a dining room chair), Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman, Marisa Tomei. Who was on your best and worst list? (feel free to disagree with me!)

Hailee Steinfeld from True Grit. So pretty, so age appropriate.

If you have an iphone and like trivia, a really fun game is Qrank. It is a trivia game you can play against your friends, you play once per day, and you can even submit questions. If you have it, find me with my email, clchamness@gmail.com. I submitted an Oscar-themed question and it was chosen which was pretty cool, I had a miniature moment of fame. (See my name at the bottom?) The answer was Tatum O'neil for her role in Paper Moon.

Well, happy March 1st, thanks for stopping by to have coffee with me, I hope you have a wonderful day!! xo Thanks always to Amy at Lucky Number 13 for Hosting Virtual Coffee!

Coffee Date

Hi friend! And hi Tuesday! MMM raspberry tea. Pull up a chair, I will brew you a cup, or coffee if you prefer. The tea is delicious, and from my friend Georgia. Both lovers of tea, all things crafty, holidays, and any excuse to give a gift, we decided to do a Valentine's Day gift swap. It was so much fun...the rules were simple, make a Valentine's Day decoration, and add something edible to enjoy. Georgia is incredibly crafty and an inspiration with the beautiful items she creates!

As my gift to her, I made her a multimedia painting on a 5"x5" canvas. Something I have never really done before but had a lot of fun with it! Man this tea is delicious. Thanks Georgia!

If we were meeting for coffee today, I would tell you to head on over. I am tired and don't have the energy to get dressed, so feel free to stay in your comfy clothes and snuggle under a blanket.

If we were meeting for coffee today, I would ask you "what you did for Valentine's Day?" Because Mondays are long days for Brent and he starts early the next day, we both agreed we would rather celebrate over the weekend. Saturday we rode bikes to the coffee shop down the street, grabbed iced lattes, and hit the beach for a picnic, sunshine, reading, and relaxing. That night from the comfort of home we made a three-course fondue dinner...cheese with apples and bread, oriental beef broth with veggies, chicken and shrimp, chocolate fondue, and champagne. (Okay so we were too full for the dessert fondue, so we are actually having that tonight) YUM! He surprise me with tulips on Friday and roses on Saturday.

And my gift?

A bracelet and necklace from Dogeared, paired with a card from him that said, "I love you to the moon and back" and "Our love is infinite" - I am so so lucky. And I love the dogeared stuff because they all have some kind of special meaning behind them.

Are you reading anything right now? I am reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult. She is such a talented writer and I can't put it down. It is extra fascinating to me because the main character is a boy with Aspergers Syndrome, so at times it is like reading about my cousin who is autistic.

♥ Enjoy the rest of your week, thanks for having coffee with me! ♥

And thanks of course to Amy of Lucky Number Thirteen for hosting Virtual Coffee!

*The I Love You card is by Crafty Fanny