March

When finishing the first chapter of "March" it was obvious how it won the Pulitzer Prize. It read like poetry. I was, once again, in awe of what an author does.

If you ever wondered why the father in, Alcott's, "Little Women" was rarely present? This book has the answers. In this well-researched work of fiction, the author makes him the main character. While the young women and their mother stay in Concord, Massachusetts, Mr. March is a chaplain, away in the Civil War. The family and other familiar people are imagined in this make-believe story that is both moving and riveting.

Tea in Pasadena

Thanks, Nancy, for treating me to this tea party with your lovely friends.

The Chado Tea Room has been given the Award of Distinction by the Zagat survey.

Old West and Hollywood on State Street

Such fun strolling on State Street in Santa Barbara. The antiques in this one store, only, offer so many choices of the memorabilia of old Hollywood and the nearby ranches.

Gardens at San Ysidro Ranch

Some of the lovely surprises are the water lilies blooming in the pond.

Fruit trees frame the rose garden, next to the kitchen garden.

The Artist's Hand

An appreciation for what artists do is present at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito. I noticed original art in the stained-glass windows at the main house and on the painted table tops around the pool.

The San Ysidro Ranch is listed in Travel and Leisure Magazine to be the 4th top hotel in the world.

Pools

All of the pools make me think of the California sky.

...pass by this when going to the legendary Melvyn's in Palm Springs...

..copied from the original at Adamson House,this pool is at the Point Dume Club...

...I swim here most mornings at the Malibu Bay Club...





...Dick and I spent an anniversary here at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito...

Trattatoria Mollie

It was a Dottie's birthday. Coming to this restaurant in Montecito, after many recommendations, was part of the celebration. We started with the soup of the day---cioppino.

Dottie choose the seafood pasta.

I had Mollie's famous turkey meatballs.

We savored every morsel.