Bouchon Bakery

How fortunate are we to find a piece of Paris in the charming little town of Yountville? Very lucky.

Feeling Parisian at heart, the ideal petit dejeuner

for me is cafe and a croissant.

Thomas Keller Oreo Cookies

My lovely sister Jean.

Boy did Andre enjoy his cookies!

Beautiful rows of macarons.

If you find yourself in Napa Valley, do come and visit here.

Bouchon, Noir et Blanc

A Cullen is Born

I came to surprise my sweet friend and sister Len who was due to give birth.  Both her baby boy and I raced the clock to see who would arrive first!  We arrived on the same day but I lost, running behind just a few hours from him.  It was a close race. : )  Needless to say, it was all worth it at the end when Len (who thought I completely forgot about her) was happily greeted by yours truly.  She was completely surprised!  Screams, laughter, and tears filled the hospital room.   Thanks to Jean, Billy, and Vince especially for keeping my arrival a hush-hush!

Let me introduce you to my new handsome little nephew.

His name is Tristan Cullen Teodoro.

His proud Daddy Vince.

His beautiful Mommy Len with Mimi.

Mimi taking a peak at the new addition to their family.

Homecoming happiness...

Andre showing sweetness to his first cousin.

We have a Cullen in the family now.

For the Twilighters out there...

Does he dazzle you? 

Returning to the Valley

I long, as does every human being, 

to be at home wherever I find myself.

Maya Angelou

I realized that the purpose of this web site really stays

true to its meaning; it was born out of keeping you

posted since I often don't get a chance to let you know

the goings-on of my busy life.

I am traveling, working, and spending time with my

extended family in a place I still call home... 

Northern California.  

Random Things & Random Thoughts

It's almost mid-March.  Can that really be?  I've been MIA here.  (My apologies to you.)  The days have been hazy and filled with random things.  I'll regroup soon, hopefully this weekend.  That goes to reading up on my favorite blog sites and posting here again.  For now, I wish you well and well-planned days. 

Work is good, Crepes are better

TGIF!  It's been an unbelievably hard week at work.  Although I brought work home this weekend, I'm relieved to be away from my office: from the sound of the ringing phone, from the influx of e-mails, from data reports, from contract reviews, from meetings, and more meetings.  Work is good, but too much of it is bad.  So when I'm feeling bad and want to welcome the weekend in a sweet way, crepes are a great start.  Sharing our midnight snack with you.  Hubby and I are going to be couch potatoes tonight until the clock strikes weekend.  

espresso brewing, crepes frying

banana & nutella filled, butter & sugar sprinkled

Bon week-end.

Sweet Serenity

Will you join me for tea tonight?  Bake a little something sweet, steep your favorite tea, pour it into a lovely worn teacup,  and cozy up in your nook with classic book.  How can you resist such an invitation?

making madeleines...

i usually make a large batter and bake a few cookies at a time.

onward with my quest to read the classics.

this shabby chic french teacup has seen many years...

found at an antique shop, i wonder what stories it holds.

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,

And all the sweet serenity of books.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

East of Eden

Feeling anxious about picking up another book, I braved the drive during the arrival of a snow storm.  Don't think it an obsession-- with books.  I think it's simply love. It's sailing away from life's daily grind.  It's a breath of fresh air in the confinement of the cold winter.  It's just what I do during hibernation.   

what's in store for me?  Steinbeck.

i don't care much for introductions in books, but i enjoy a good 

dedication such as this one addressed to his friend and editor:

PASCAL COVICI 

Dear Pat,

You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, "Why don't you make something for me?"

I asked what you wanted, and you said, "A box."

"What for?"

"To put things in."

"What things?"

"Whatever you have," you said.

Well, here's your box.  Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full.

Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts-- the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.

An on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.

And still the box is not full.

JOHN

apparently, when he finished his manuscript, he placed it in a wooden box which he had carved and presented it to Pascal Covici.

what a beautiful thing.

i don't mind winter at all.

Tweety Birds

I received a couple of adorable "Thank You" notes from Melissa and Kara today.  Spring must be near...  These cards made me anticipate the coming of the next season.  It made me anticipate seeing my neighboring girlfriends again.   How lovely that our simple acts of kindness is appreciated so that it merits dropping a note in the mail.  Am I allowed to return this thoughtful gesture with a note of thanks too?  I hope to see them soon enough to say how much I enjoyed hearing from them and how much I adored these tweety birds.  

Revitalized

Revitalized.  Thank God for Hula.  Thank God for my wonderful kumu Angie.  

I've had a stretch of hard days at work and with the overwhelming work load, I was beginning to neglect my mental and physical health.  It's an awful feeling to come home too tired to do anything.  I didn't want to miss hula class but I didn't want to abandon the stack of paper work I took home either.  I was feeling lousy.  

Not anymore... I dragged my tired being to hula class.   I'm so glad I did.  Tonight I realized that although I have work to do, I have the energy to tackle them.  (Well, maybe just a little it's getting pretty late.)  Angie taught a great class tonight.  Her classes are always great, but I guess because I felt revitalized it was extra special for me.  I very much enjoyed learning and dancing by bum off. : )  It really improved my mood and increased my energy level.  I'll rock at work tomorrow! LOL!

A note on Angie: She's my respected teacher and friend.  Her dedication to her students, her love for her family, and her passion to help others is an inspiration.  If you'd like a peak at her world, you can meet her at The Daily Dewey where you'll also find her beloved Nana's Box, her Cancer Project.  (I was honored to be featured at Nana's Box.) Oh, did I mention she's also a fellow Twilighter?  Check out the Twihards too.  Any Cullen admirer is a friend of mine.  Isn't she amazing?  I know you'll all agree.   

Have a fabulous Friday everyone!  Enjoy these beautiful images of Hula Kahiko from photographer Kim Taylor Reece.    

A Cozy Weekend

I'm feeling better, thank you.  Nesting at home with my husband was restful and sweet.  It was a treat to be together for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  We tended to our home a little, lounged a little, and closed the day with a romantic comedy movie (You've Got Mail).  A perfect end to a cozy weekend.  Here's to a good work week...

Red Envelope

Happy Heart Day everyone!  I hope you have a lovely day filled with hugs and kisses from your special someone.  As for me, I'm cuddled up in bed with a slight fever that suddenly came over me, not a good way to start the weekend.  As for hubby, he's busy working in the office, another paper is due.   As for St. Valentine, I hope to feel better so I can celebrate the day and bake a little something sweet.

For Bob with love... 

A little bit of me and a whole lot of you

Add a dash of starlight and a dozen roses, too

Then let it rise for a hundred years or two

And that's the recipe for making love

It doesn't need sugar 'cause it's already sweet

It doesn't need an oven 'cause it's got a lot of heat

Just add a dash of kisses to make it all complete

And that's the recipe for making love

And if you've made it right you'll know it

It's not like anything you've made before

And if you've made it wrong you'll know it

'cause it won't keep you coming back for more

I didn't get it from my grandma's book upon the shelf

I didn't get it from a magical and culinary elf

No, a little birdie told me you can't make it by yourself

And that's the recipe for making love

Recipe for Love by Harry Connick, Jr.

Photos courtesy of Red Envelope

The Stranger

The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes.  That's when everything began to reel.  The sea carried up a thick, fiery breath. It seemed to me as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire.  My whole being tensed and I squeezed my hand around the revolver...  I shook off the sweat and sun.  I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where I'd been happy.

Part I, Chapter 6

Albert Camus

There's something haunting about reading a book by candlelight, especially if it's this one.  Shortly after I finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I picked up The Stranger (L'Etranger).  Although it was a quick read, I took my time pausing in between events examining the actions of the main character and his indifference to people and the world around him.  I questioned so many things in this novel.  That's what a good book is suppose to do to us readers, right?  At the end they were all answered, it all made sense.  I can't share too much here since Matthew will be reading this too. 

An interesting little fact: Are you familiar with 80's punk music?  If so, I'm sure you remember The Cure's first single from the album Standing on the Beach which was derived from this novel.  

An evening with Professor Doris

We took a break from study and workload tonight to sit in, listen, and learn from our dearest friend David (well, you all know the Doris' next door is really part of our family) who presented at our downtown library in honor of Black History Month.  

Listening to David speak about the art and culture of the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria was both engrossing and educational, especially since Patrick and I are not familiar with African Studies.  Suffice it to say, we walked away with a greater appreciation for their culture and traditions.  I think one of the memorable parts for me was learning about "Olumeye": one who knows honor.  As a Filipino-American, I am cognizant of my heritage and respect my ancestry. (Respect is highly regarded in our culture.  You may have even noticed that carried on here when I refer to my older sister or older cousins as "Ate"; a title given to an older sister or older female member of the family as a sign of respect.  I too, am referred by my younger brother and cousins in this way.)  I may not carry all the traditions with me, but because they still play an active role in the lives of my families, they remain a part of me.  It's good be reminded of these things.  Anyhow...

David: Thanks for a lovely evening.  You're a remarkable speaker.  It was thrilling to hear the story behind these pictures from the Southern Review.  We'll look forward to the publishing of your book.

   

The Southern Review

"Traditional Somethings": the Persistence of Aale in Nigeria

Photography by David T. Doris, PhD

The Color Green

As I was looking around our home I realized that I'm finding more accents of green here and there.  The old French Provincal style in our home is based on cream, brown, and gray tones so it's a nice surprise to see that a hint of bright color made its way in.  My husband approves, he very much likes bold colors.

Did you know?

How the color green affects us physically:

Soothes

Relaxes mentally, as well as physically

Helps alleviate depression, nervousness, and anxiety

Offers a sense of renewal, self-control, and harmony 

Feels Like Spring

Do I hear birds singing?  It's unseasonably warm today, well at least we think so here.  Don't laugh but it's 38 degrees F and for us at this time of year, that is warm baby!  So I am heading out to enjoy the great outdoors.

Nature indoors is looking like springtime.  The rosemary is in bloom.

Even Poppy came out of her hibernation for the first time this winter.

Patrick and I were thrilled to be greeted by her this morning at our doorstep. 

Gray Skies & Blue Skies

What a difference a day makes.

We had gray skies and snow this past week...

and blue skies and sun this weekend!

As much as I love the snow, it's such a wonderful feeling to see the sun and feel the warmth of the ground.  It makes me anticipate spring!      

Movie Night: To Kill a Mockingbird

I made my way to the library today.  I was excited to find my name posted on this movie in their 'hold' shelf.  It's been many years since I watched  this and I designated tonight to be a movie night.  Armed with a midnight snack, wrapped in my sweater I created a nest on our couch and settled in.  It was delightful.  What's even more delightful was seeing the characters from Harper Lee's novel come to life.  Although busy with his studies, Patrick couldn't resist joining me at the end...  We both later discovered that there was not much difference between Gregory Peck and the character he played on film.  After watching excerpts from the movie and reading about his life and career we admired him even more, just as Atticus Finch.  

A couple of my favorite scenes between Scout and her father Atticus...

Atticus Finch: Do you know what a compromise is?

Scout: Bendin' the law?

Atticus Finch: (slightly bemused) Uh, no.  It's an agreement reached by mutual consent.  Now here's the way it works.  You concede the necessity of goin' to school, we'll keep right on readin' the same every night, just as we always have.  Is that a bargain?

Atticus Finch, My Hero

There are just some kind of men who- who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.  Miss Maudie

It's a shame I waited this long to read this novel.  Scout's storytelling was both engrossing and sincere.  This novel is a fundamental reminder of our nation's history and struggle with racial inequality.  How fitting that I share this today, the first day of Black History Month.  As far as I'm concerned, Atticus exemplifies all that is good and just in a human being.  We all need a hero like that.   Thank you Ms. Nelle Harper Lee.

They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.  The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.  

Atticus Finch

Did I mention this is one of my husband's favorite book?  To this day, he treasures his paperback copy dating back to his 8th grade.  It's quite endearing really.  Among his many scribbles in the book, on the last page he noted: finished 5/11/87  8:17 p.m.  He was so enthusiastic about my reading that he even read for me one night.  Perhaps he'll take a break from his studies and join me to watch the movie too.