Chris and I took a day trip to John Muir woods. Our children would be so proud of us. Normally we just stay home on Saturday doing yard work, but I decided on Friday that I would get all the bushes trimmed and the lawns mowed so we could go do something fun. I have lived in the Bay Area for 33 years, and I had never been to Muir woods. It was beautiful! We hiked the medium trail, taking pictures along the way. After we finished there, we drove to Stinson Beach and ate lunch in a small café. We took a short stroll on the beach (it was cold) and started to head back to our car when we ran into the youth from our ward. They had hiked from Muir woods to the beach and were going to have a barbeque. On our way back along Highway 1, we pulled off at Muir beach overlook. It is a small piece of land/cliff that jets out into the ocean. We walked out to the end where I felt like Kate Winslet on Titanic. The whole Pacific Ocean was laid out in front of us. It was absolutely beautiful!
When I was a little girl, my Mom made the most beautiful ornaments for our Christmas tree. She found a source for goose eggs, emptied the centers and cut out the oval opening. The eggs were then spray painted gold, filled with a little whipped wax and decorated with miniature scenes. For years our formal living room tree was flocked white and adorned with these lovely gold eggs. As an adult my Mom surprised me one Christmas and gave me an entire tree worth of her hand crafted eggs. Recently when my daughters and I were going through my Mom's things, we found cartons of prepared eggs that needed to be painted and decorated. My ambitious daughter and daughter-in-law wanted to make eggs like Grandma's. They motivated me, and I made an egg for each couple and each grandchild. I love Christmas traditions, and I thank my Mom for started something that will last through the generations.
