A Day Off

Until today all I'd been doing since Friday was reading textbooks and preparing for the coming school year. While reading the McClay history textbook (mentioned in my post) I came accross a small error so I looked up McClay's email and sent him the information he needs so he can fix the error in the second edition. He wrote back. It turns out he is a really neat guy. We are getting together later this year.

Today, Kathleen and I went to the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Scott Creek Beach. I think it was the first time I've been to that beach since my boys were little. Scott Creek Beach, Waddell Creek Beach, and Bonny Doon Beach were the beaches I used to take them to all the time. It was Kathleen's first time at Scott Creek Beach.

There were lots of kite surfers today. Just before we came home the dog dug up a large crab, shook it ferrociosly, ripped it to pieces, and rolled in it. The smell in the car was horrible. We stopped at dog wash and got him all cleaned up before we let him in the house.

It was fun reading about Righteous Gamaleil today. As I was reading about him today I learned that he was a famous rabbi and the Jews still cite some of his decisions. I wonder how many secret Christians there are today. My guess is many.

This is thesecond day of the Dormition Fast. I am always surpised about hw good the food is. Also, meal prep and clean up is much easier when there is no meat, fish, dairy, or oil. I did make some vegan pesto for Katleen yesterday (Yesterday was an oil day. I don't know why.) I don't like pesto but she does so I made it for her.
A normal pesto recipe has five ingredients: fresh basil, Pamagiano Regiano, olive oil, fresh garlic, and pine nuts. To make it vegan, and thereby fast-friendly, all you have to do is leave out the cheese, add a little salt and, bingo, you have vegan pesto.

Wow! What a day!

Woke up at 7. Grabbed some bagels and coffee. (Note: I really hate it that the peanut butter most often used at bagle shops is Skippy. There are plenty of good peanut butters on the market. Adams and Maranatha come to mind. Unlike Skippy, shey have no hydrogenated oils. In fact, they are nothing but pure peanuts. ) Dropped Athanasia off at her office in Scott's Valley. (Today was her last day filling in there. The new manager starts tomorrow) From there the little boy and I drove through Felton and Santa Cruz and up the coast to Pigeon Point Lighthouse and looked at wild flowers. I know that there are people who disagree with me but California has the prettiest official flower of all of the 50 States. We just walked among the flowers watching the big black bumble bees and the tiny green humming birds fly from blossom to blossom.

From there the little boy and I drove south on the coast to Waddell Beach. The creek that empties into the ocean there was swollen from the recent rains. It was a good opportunity to teach the boy about salty nd fresh water. First I had him taste the ocean. Then we walked 50 feet up streem and tasted the creek. He thought it was neat and wanted to do it again. There were only 5 surfers, 2 runners, and a couple with a boy a liitle older than my Anselm. It was really strange. That beach is usually packed with people.

From there we drove to the little town of Bonny Doon and did some wine tasting at the Bonny Doon Winery. Just me. Not the boy. (Wooo Hoooo!!! This is our third of 4 in a row wine days! I love Annunciation!) They make the best Muscat I've ever tasted.

Then we drove the backroads from Bonny Doon to Scotts Valley and pick up my sweetie about 1:30 pm. Well, by that time we were all hungy so we zipped back down to Santa Cruz and went to our fave Greek place. No, not Prophet Elias Church. Though my brothers and sister there have a killer annual festival, I'm talking about Vasili's Taverna. The best - I mean the BEST dolmathes in California! I couldn't have any today because it its Great Lent, but they also have amazingly faubulous souvlaki - Opa! - which my "I'm pregnant and the priest says I get to eat anything I want to eat during Lent" wife enjoyed.

Since we were in San Francisco for services on Thursday and Friday for the Annunciation services we decided not to drive all the way up there again tonight. Instead we went to the Vigil for the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas at the Church of St. Nicholas in Saratoga. (If you haven't heard Archpriest Basil's voice you have missed out on one the best liturgical singers in the OCA. In my opinion he is every bit as good as Father Paul Lazor of St. Vlad's.) Also, it was good to see my old friend John from San Francisco who now is the choir director in Saratoga.