Lover's Point, Pacific Grove, CA

Bungalow Heaven, in Pasadena, CA

In 1985, a group of neighbors in Pasadena, CA decided to fight the slow destruction of the neighborhood they loved.  In 1989, the City of Pasadena made Bungalow Heaven the first Bungalow neighborhood in the nation to be designated a landmark historic district, and in 2008 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Their story, is now a film, called "Bungalow Heaven- Preserving a Neighborhood."

A trailer of the film, Bungalow Heaven:  Preserving A Neighborhood, is available on the American Bungalow website, www.americanbungalow.com, where the DVD will also be available for purchase.

Something interesting that Joaquin Montalvan said about making the film is that in talking to the residents featured in the film, he found that they all came to the neighborhood looking for certain things in a home, and they loved the special energy that the neighborhood has.  No one moved in saying they wanted a Craftsman Bungalow, but almost everyone had something in mind when they set out to buy their house, something that reminded them of the homes of their childhoods.  For example,  Joaquin Montalvan, the film maker, said, "it wasn't that they knew what they had by buying a bungalow, architecturally speaking, but because the house spoke to them, it had certain emotional factors."

Inspired by reading, "Neighbors Save A Way Of Life"
pgs. 12-13
American Bungalow
February- May

Movie:
Bungalow Heaven:  Preserving A Neighborhood
American Bungalow website
www.americanbungalow.com
(DVD is also available for purchase)
Sample of movie is available for viewing on the website.

Recommended fine Italian dining in Old Oakland, CA

The building housing Deco is a historic structure erected in 1876 and a portion of the restaurant's mosaic and tile flooring has been in place for the better part of a century!

The wine list is entirely Italian, with 50 selections, 20 of which are poured by the glass.

The Desco team is headed by owner and executive chef Donato Scotti and Wine Director, Eric LeCours.  The word Desco translates in Latin, to dinner table, reflecting the restaurant's welcoming nature.

Desco has delicious appetizers such as homemade potato chips and selections such as the salmon croquettes of Coho Salmon, potato and fresh thyme.

I loved the pasta carbonara, it was delicious!

Resource:

Desco
Fine Italian Dining
499 9th Street
Oakland,CA
(510) 663-9000
www.descooakland.com

Yummy organic, gluten free, lavender cake mix perfect for a spring party! Perfect for adults!

I discovered a yummy box cake mix that is appropriate for spring parties!  My son didn't like it, but the adults at the party loved it!

Wholesome Chow
www.wholesomechow.com
Organic, Gluten Free, Lavender cake Baking Mix

Memorial Day Fun - Civil War Reenactment at Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton, CA

Over the Memorial Day weekend, Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton (a small town in the Santa Cruz Mountains; Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is literally next door) hosts a U.S. Civil War reenactment.  Several hundred men and women dress up in period clothes and camp out on the railroad grounds for the weekend.  Participants reenact a skirmish several times daily, firing Civil War period rifles, cannon, and large guns.  The event is a lot of fun - particularly if you have any interest in history (or want the kids to have an interest).

The railroad is PACKED due to the large number of visitors for the event so get tickets in advance.  We recommend you bring earplugs or get some at the train depot - the cannon and large guns are VERY loud.

The Tiny house movement and simple living

It seems everyone I talk to in California wants to simplify and move to a tiny house!  I saw a short movie on tube, called "Land of the Tiny House People" on tube that documented types of tiny houses and where they are.  The author has a website, fair companies.com that has ideas, books, movies, etc.  It is a wealth of information for those looking to have a tiny house!

Resource:

faircompanies.com
movie, "Land of the Tiny House People" on tube

Suburban Haiku: Poetic Dispatches From Behind the Picket Fence by Peyton Price

Mother's Day has passed, and this morning as I had my coffee I think about the book I gave to a family member, Suburban Haiku:  Poetic Dispatches From Behind the Picket Fence by Peyton Price.   I thought this book was hilarious, but was worried how it would be received as a gift.  Yet, everyone in the room loved it, laughed, and could relate to the perfectly expressed words about modern life in suburbia and even living in a city bungalow!

Resource:

Suburban Haiku:  Poetic Dispatches From Behind the Picket Fence
by Peyton Price