HAPPY HOLIDAYS — one and all! This year, like last, our neighbors have been providing an endless stream of good will, not to mention plates-full of goodies: yum! Moving to the Rancho, we were instantly struck by how welcoming the neighbors were, and we still feel that way almost 3-years on … we love our house and the cul-de-sac we’re the entry to; relocating here was one of our best moves ever. Unlike many of our neighbors, though, we don’t really decorate the place in a holiday fashion. So I thought I’d look around and do a visual scavenger hunt of sorts, scanning for seasonal elements. This is what I found; consider it my Rancho card to you!
Happy Holidays 2009!
Holiday classics: red + green
Red and green: is there a more classic holiday color combo? It’s the color of holly leaves and berries; poinsettia plants and blooms; evergreen wreathes and ribbon garlands. It’s also the color of succulents, cacti and other plants found at the Rancho right now. In the picture above, a large crimson echeveria with a “let’s party!” flower stalk makes the standard seasonal color statement when in the company of the more sedate agave attenuatas behind it. Looks great, right? Well, I say we expand red and green a bit and include some other shades, Rancho style …
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Color, collections, shine and texture
The fireplace in the Rancho’s living room isn’t sporting stockings hung with care or any other seasonal bric-a-brac but that doesn’t mean it’s not festive or devoid of color. When the living room was first put together we found that it didn’t stand out enough as a focal point. The firebox was flanked by clunky “brass” andirons and the mantle was boring. So I decided to paint the whole thing — hearth, bricks, brass trim and mantle — a very dark, blue-green gray. Almost black, but with more character. Looked great but needed more, um, stuff … aren’t mantles really just opportunities to put your fave things out on … and, things I had plenty of!
Classic Riverside winter view
The incessant, but much-needed and entirely welcome, rains of the last few days have ended. I’m glad it rained this weekend as it allowed me to reduce my sleep deficit by a few hours; hearing rain in the morning I found it really easy to roll over, rather than getting up and going for a walk. This is the day after the rains: chilly and clear and very Riverside in winter. Stately Rubidoux Heights craftsman homes on one side, overlook the bike path below, leading to Fairmount Park on one side, Mt. Rubidoux and the Santa Ana River on the other. A vintage concrete lamp post hearkens back to the neighborhood’s heyday while supermodel-thin classic palm trees sway haughtily in the breeze. Clouds that floated in from a Maxfield Parrish print complete a picture out of Riverside history. It’s the kind of day that makes me glad we moved here. Perfect.
Undulating, glistening agave
Rainy days can be dark, dreary and depressing, but they don’t have to be. I think if you get out in the weather, and move around, they can be really fun. So, I suggested to Paul that after lunch we should go to the UCR botanic gardens. I loved how the Rancho looked this morning in the rain — how the gravel, boulders and all the plants seemed to be energized by all the moisture — so I thought for sure that the cactus and succulent gardens at the university would be equally gorgeous. And I was right. Heading into the gardens, toward the desert plant area, I was met by the gigantic agave above, its massive, writhing leaves shiny with the still-falling rain. I always thought this fantastic plant looked like something from an underwater adventure movie and today the rain was making it seem more so: stupendous! I couldn’t wait to see more …
Cheeky, chalky and stylish
We decided to take in the Irvine City College Flea Market, this being the first Sunday of the month. Having heard a lot about this show of late, we thought we’d see for ourselves what all the fuss was about. We’d heard it was smaller than most of the other local flea markets (it was); that it’s prices were lower than most (not really); that the range of goods on offer was pretty good (yes and no); that dogs were allowed (they were, and how!). We got to the market an hour after opening and it was in full swing, well-populated with shoppers and spread over 3 small lots. Pictured above is a pair of large chalkware figures, of uncertain vintage and origin, that were my favorites at the show. Unfortunately, by the time I got to them they were hanging back, having already sold. Sigh. Thankfully, there were quite a few things of interest on display, and they follow. (Note: I had decided beforehand to limit myself to a $100 budget and I found two items to purchase; they are at the end of this post.)
Why so worried?
There’ve been fewer Rancho posts this week, but for good reason: my sister, Julie, is in the hospital. She had a pretty major pancreatic procedure and that’s been on my mind to the exclusion of most other things. Thankfully, she’s had the surgery and, except for expected discomforts, is doing better then we had hoped. To everyone who sent good thoughts and prayers on her behalf, thanks; they made a difference! We were with her at the hospital quite late, so after sleeping-in this morning I took some time out to water and look after the plants in the front yard, noticing that my bottle palm needed trimming back. Post-haircut, there it was — that face! That Seussian, bewildered look on the palm’s bulbous base that was the reason I bought the guy in the first place … and it looked just like I had the night before.
Moody, dark, in the park
Left the house at 5:30 this morning for a walk. I hadn’t been feeling that great all week, but today I woke up at 5 feeling hale and hearty and in need of walking off the ’tilla-’tater chip binge of the night before. My walk of late involves walking toward Fairmount Park, around the complete perimeter of the park, then to downtown for coffee. (This takes about one hour and 15 minutes, total.) 10 minutes into the walk I felt what I thought were sprinkles so I put on my hood, thankful I had one. All the way around the park the sprinkles continued intermittently — with added excitement supplied by far-off lightning — until just before I exited the park to head up Market St. (which is when I took the picture above). I love rain, so it was exhilarating to be out in the cold, with the wind, wetness and electrical flash accompanying the soundtrack pulsing in my headphones. Fantastic! And, then it happened … just as the outline of the Mission Inn came into view, the skies opened and it began to pour.
From the top: tropi-cornucopia; below: tabletop still life, mini-succulent garden
As readers of this blog already know, I ain’t no writer. Having said that, when Times food section editor, Russ Parsons, asked me if I could do a piece on creating last-minute Thanksgiving centerpieces, I recklessly agreed. See, I was so excited by the prospect of coming up with the centerpieces I just figured I would deal with the whole writing part later. Meanwhile, my tireless partner, Paul, suffered through my parts-gathering for the projects; then suffered further when I had made up 8 (!) centerpieces and almost every kitchen surface was covered with the various bits and pieces for a few weeks. I showed photos of the pieces to Russ and he picked which he wanted to run in the newspaper (above; to be professionally shot at The Times). Oh, and the story? Russ said it should be about 800 words — Aaack!
Allosaurus meets aloes
Uncommon sights abound in the garden of our friend, Ann Plasker. She and her husband, Ed, have created a truly amazing environment at their home in Riverside. Before we became owners of the Rancho, Paul and I enjoyed having the Plaskers as our neighbors while living across town in the area behind the University and under the big ‘C’ mountain. We were privileged to be invited to see their grounds then, but hadn’t been by since moving. So, when we saw Ann at the UCR plant sale, and she mentioned that she had some plants she wanted to give us, I was excited to think we’d see their place again. These pictures are from that visit and are of just a small portion of the grounds: the cactus/succulent garden. I think you’ll agree, Ann’s garden is truly a sight to behold.
