Yes it's winter even in California!

We lived in an old Spanish style house with a real flagstone patio that was completely covered by some kind of viney plant. I don't remember what it was. It had the tiled roof, a huge arched window, and a balcony. It was a two story house. It was tucked into the corner of the 5 Fwy offramp, and Grand Ave. in Santa Ana. Used to be part of a school, along with the house next door. The headmaster lived in our house, and the one Mrs. Crawford lived in was both where the classrooms were and students boarded. It was also the only house I have ever seen in CA will a full on Basement that was useable. Was as large as the footprint of the house.
We had lino and wood floors, we had rugs, no frills, and some interesting spaces. It was a great place to grow up. We were poor but we didn't know it because the house was so grand.
It was a beautiful house that we lived in. I miss it still. Last time I went by, it had been torn down.
I remember JD, when we got our cookie cutter house, and the popcorn ceilings.
I like the old homes that have character, best.
WIB!
SW

My mom grew up in a huge elaborate Tudor house..."with all that gingerbread stuff " in it. Years later she aprreciated all that "gingerbread":
Crown mouldings, hand carved doors, hardwood floors, finials on staircases, etc.

Our '50's brown shag carpeting just didn't measure up to all of it !

Three blocks from me is an old neighborhood called Carroll Park. It's all vintage homes from the turn of the century of assorted architecture. It's like a trip back in time. The street is so narrow 2 cars can't pass each other.

It's all really nice except for at one end where someone built an ugly modern 50's apt. complex...which completely ruins the entire fell of the rest of the street. It's so out of place it's a crime.

There are times when I want to live in the city ...one of the old city homes because there are so many things you can do garden-wise that are inappropriate in our rural setting. A private, small courtyard would look stupid here.....however, then I'd have to tolerate the noise and neighbors. I went to take a look at the nursing home in Murrieta...it's wonderful! I'll call back in the a.m. to see if they have an availability. The place he's in now in Modesto is just horrid...have to get him out of there. My Dad was a Marine Corporal...he fought at Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal and other spots in the Pacific. He was a hard rock miner/tunnel builder (Feather River) and later a forklift driver. He can tell you more about history and politics and world conditions, past and current than you'd ever want to know...and they wonder why he doesn't want to play bingo....

Sherry, that's wonderful news that your found a good place for your dad---it'll take a huge burden off your shoulders knowing he's being cared for appropriately!

Sherry,
They have a VA Dr. right here in Sun City. I hope they have a place for him in Murrieta. I do, I do!
Ah, he's one of them guys. Sharp as a tack, like a fellow I really admire here in town by the name of Pete Petersen. He's in his 90's and is a stroke survivor. Don't underestimate him, because his mind works quite well. So well that they named a Park after him.
No wonder you were so distraught about the med mistake.
Honestly, I think that some Dr.s give meds to the patient's just to shut them up. A pharmaceutical babysitter if you will. No offense to the many fine Dr.s out there who do care.
JD, will you take photos of those beautiful old houses on Carroll Park? You can leave out the ugly '50's apartment building.
None of the houses around here were ever fancy. At least not the old ones. They were farmers homes. Now Temecula or Riverside have some areas with beautiful old Craftsman style houses, Victorians, Adobes and California Bungalo's(sp?). The old spa buildings and school in Lake Elsinore are nice too.
Then there is the castle in Perris, CA. I'll have to try for a photo of that if I ever make it out that way again. Really, it has it's own helipad. LOL!
I love the ocean, but this will always be home. I couldn't stand all the people in town. I need my space.
WIB!
SW

The things I remember about the house where I did most of my growing up are the hardwood floors and rag rugs, and the full width porch on the front. We would get hamburgers and shakes for dinner on Saturday and eat them on the porch.

Sherry, fingers crossed there is an opening for your dad at that place. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a group of vets in our area who visit folks like your dad who can't get around anymore.

Nothing wrong with talking about cemeteries - I think it should be a topic more often and not whispered about in corners. When I started searching our family history, they became very desirable destinations! LOL The thing I hate to see is a neglected cemetery. In Rhode Island and other place backs east, they are protected - some people have graves in their front yards because of the passage of time and the way construction came about. Our family group cleared a 17th-18th century burial ground of brambles that was in between two homes - one of the neighbors came out with his chain saw to help. Different mind set in some places, is all. I like the idea the Mexican people have of celebrating their dead on Dia de los Muertos, too. Also, the idea of a 'green' burial appeals to me - cardboard box and a plant on top. From what I've seen, it's cheaper than cremation and much friendlier to the ecosystem. There! I've taken care of that subject! Everyone can come out and play again. :-)

That's one thing that I really like about TX there are old cemeteries everywhere. There are at least 6 within 5 miles of our house. I was use to cemeteries like Forest Lawn. These are really neat, I'm a cemetery hopper, there is so much history. In one of them there are 2 graves from the Republic of Texas I cant remember the dates. My favorite Cemetery (that sound terrible) is in Ferndale CA up on the hill on the left side if you are heading north.

The Pantry that is the other resturant that my mom and I were trying to remember. Caifornia here I come!

Oh, I'll bet a cemetery in Ferndale would be beautiful. I love it up there. I'll have to look for that when we're there next. I would love to visit the cemetery where my ancestors are buried in Stone County Missouri. Unfortunately the old homestead is now at the bottom of a lake.

Boo! That's not fair! When I went to RI, we visited what's left of the ca. 1650 homestead of our progenitor. The area around the old place had lavender and other plants growing that are thought to be originally brought over by the colonists. Very cool. I read a story yesterday about a town that had hired several goats to come in and clean up an old cemetery. All very organized so the goats are taken care of, but the job gets done. Right now they can't even find the graves.

Since my dad was killed when I was little, I spent a lot of my childhood visiting "his" cemetery, in the little Colorado town where he grew up. A lot of peace can be found in them. There's a beautiful and very old one in Santa Cruz.

Sacramento has a wonderful old cemetary also. A friend of mine from up in Placervilled and I spent a day in August exploring it and catching up after 16 years. I took a few photos I'll have to track down.
Meanwhile, I took this photo yesterday of my confused blueberry. It's never lost it's leaves in the winter here before because it wasn't cold enough. But after the hard freezes that almost killed some of my specimen fuchsias, it looks happy enough. Just kinda funny to be blooming and producing fruit right before the winter solstace!

What a wonderful morning. I'm so happy to be home and have a fire going in the woodstove. I was quite happy with the wintry, drizzly, foggy weather up in the San Joaquin...winter as it should be. It was disconcerting to come over the Grapevine into SoCal Friday afternoon and find that it was hot and dry. I know that was making many people probably very happy, however.......There must have been very high winds as I have a number of large umbrellas that have never been bothered by winds and they were upended, heavy bases blown over, etc. I always learn things about my plants during periods of stress. The weather was thankfully cool and wet while I've been gone which helped keep everything in the shade structure in good shape, but there were newly transplanted tiny seedlings in 4 inch pots in the greenhouse and Jer didn't think about the plants in there, to open it up and check. They went two weeks without water and I was sure they'd probably be withered...they were just fine. I left cuttings rooting in perlite/water in covered plastic bins and I can see through the plastic that they're apparently still doing well even having been in there for weeks now. Need to get to those before I leave again. I'm REALLY hoping for continued rain and cool weather to tide things over. Hope everyone else is enjoying winter as much as I am...right now, it's what winter should be...at least for California.....

I remember the old houses we used to rent in Wisconsin. Then when we moved to CA, my parents were finally able to buy their first house and those houses were all brand spanking new tract homes. It was the 60s so we had progressed to avocado, gold or coppertone appliances. Progress was spelled 'new' back then. Even now when I talk about gardening, having property and our animals, Daddy will say, a little disparagingly, "sounds like you are a farmer". He lived in a small city, Racine, growing up.

JD, I don't remember seeing that Carroll Park area when DH, Tony, was building in your neighborhood. Isn't that the name of the area with the Victorians in downtown LA also? Isn't that Apt building the one that had the fire 2.5 years ago? That building really does stick out like a sore thumb. Not that the huge house DH worked on fits that neighborhood, but it is just misplaced - not ugly.

WC - I also love the coastal area around and south of Ferndale. It would be cool to live in Gaulala. Just love saying that word. I like Mendocino area without all the tourists. I have only been to that area in Fall/Winter. When I was doing Construction Insurance Audits via phone, I realized in talking to some of the contractors that part of the additional cost of building in areas like that is that if you need stuff from the big box stores like Home Depot or such, it is quite the drive. From Sea Ranch (gorgeous) the guy goes to Santa Rosa.

Before we ended up moving to Washington (Whidbey Island) we made offers on properties in Albion, Ft. Bragg, Brookings, etc. None worked out so we just kept working our way north. I'd gladly live anywhere north of Santa Barbara. My favorite spot is the bluff road that starts up behind Cazadero and runs to Kruse Rhododendron Park...open farmlands just at the fogline looking out over the coast. We won't be able to make it that far right now, but think we can get to Monterey Bay Aquarium in a couple of weeks.

quiltyGirl: The Caroll Park area I referred to here is WEST of where the house Tony worked on. (It's on Temple and Ocean. This place is about another 1/2 of a mile west and is NORTH of 3rd St.and stops at 4th St) The street is actually called Carroll Park East and Carroll Park West . It forms a sort of loop and technically makes a circle.

Yes, the big ugly blue bldg. where the fire was is very close to there. What an eyesore. It DOES stand out like sore thumb amongst the rest of the architecture on the street. The bldg. Tony worked on isn't obnoxious at all...it's definitely modern but it fits in fine as it's very sleek. They keep re-doing the landscaping on Tony's bldg...they've done it three times already but keep tearing it all out and starting over. Very odd...

And yes again...there is an area in downtown L.A. that's a whole street of Victorian Homes...maybe it's also called Carroll Park. (?) I'd forgotten about that !

If you want to grab a quick bite or have a nice lunch/dinner consider Vivolo's Chowder House on Lighthouse Ave, a couple of blocks from the Aquarium. They serve excellent seafood, and they have terrific chowder either in a bowl, or in a sourdough bread-bowl with a garlic lid. One of our favorite places to eat!

Chowder sounds awfully good right now. The entire day has been spent on the run taking car of various problems and Taco Bell for dinner...lol..

We are so glad you are home and enjoying the weather. Do let us know how it goes with your Dad.
Last summer in OK. I was fascinated by the old cemetary. Kept looking for our ancestors, but didn't find as many as we'd hoped. Was fascinated by the markers too. Simple ones of a rock with a name and date painted on it, to the concrete ones, then the stone markers. Then there is the variety of types and shapes. Many beautiful ones. I learned that cemetaries are peaceful places a long time ago. There are several in the surrounding areas that are beautiful. The old one at the base of Mt. Rubidoux, is one of my favorites.
I love the look of the Victorian's, but not the upkeep. I love the Spanish/Mediteranean Style houses (except for the stairs), too. The Craftsmen houses are iconic of many areas in Riverside, where I spent most of my teens. I really came to love their charm.
When covering my plants outside tonight, I discovered that my silly brug went and set another bloom. I'll try to get a photo tomorrow.
PC, your blueberries look much happier than mine.
WIB!
SW

Jer worked on the Mission Inn in Riverside and he was never happier...he loved working on that place. I don't understand those who have no spirit for beauty. It makes me so sad that my Dad has spent the last 55 years living in a house that has no soul or beauty.....My Mom and my step-dad were the same, they were never home Iong enough to really care about their surroundings. I am sooo happy to be home for awhile. It recharges me.

Are the colors of those blueberry leaves typical? They are beautiful> Can you estimate the average amt of berries you get from one plant? Do they produce for a long period of time? I would like to grow some berries - something viney and easier to pick. Blueberries, blackberries? Yum.

Thanks for the info

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my "California" gardening friends!

Lynda

Same to you Lynda!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
And a wonderful weekend to boot!

Might be winter, but it doesn't have to be dull. Found this beauty at Trader Joe's last week.

Opps, sorry for the delayed response about the blueberries quiltygirl! I had been working like a maniac to finish Christmas presents and just finished and delivered the last on this morning.
Blueberries are deciduous in their native habitat, but mine has never actually lost all of it's leaves. The color is striking this year because of the freezes we've had. So those cool colors are new to me too!
It is happier where it is now than it has ever been. Much larger container and more peat moss in the mix. So I am hoping to get more berries next year than ever before. I even did some cuttings that are doing well. Can't remember what variety it is and the tag is long gone.
Since I do have to battle the birds for ripe berries, I don't know how many I would have gotten before. And just like the photo, you always have a mix of flowers, ripening berries, and ones ripe enough to pick. I usually just eat them while I garden.
Maybe this spring I will have enough to warrant grabbing a bowl!!
At least I know the cold weather means I am going to have a bumper cherry crop :-) The year before last, I was handing out gallon bags of cherries to everyone I knew.
PS Driscolls has been planting acres of blueberries around here for the last couple of years, so there must be new varieties available now that like California as much as the one I have does.

This message was edited Dec 28, 2009 5:22 PM

Happy Holidays to all, and for our family a much deserved break. I am sending a couple of photos, I hope you enjoy. Some were taken in the gh, and some outside.
This is one of those sad amaryllis I bought for half off. It's called Candy Apple. Pretty isn't it?

More pink!

Red Penta also picked up for half price.

I've been trying all year to get this photo!

A $2 Orchid.

And another, only I should mention that these are very small ones so far.

I guess I was having a pink Christmas to balance out my blue Christmas last year. Last photo for now. Yes, It's Pink!

The orchid that bloomed for me on Christmas Eve last year bloomed again. This year it put on three blooms so far. It's called a Blue Angel Glove, and will forever be a sign that my Dad still loves me when I see it bloom. : - )
Walk In Beauty!
SW

What can one do when these things just hop into your cart at Home Depot? We saw a couple walking out with a cart load of orchids, so of course I had to look. They hadn't even finished setting up the display. Lots of minis, but this one caught my eye. Have you ever seen so many buds on one plant?

Clearly meant to be yours! What a beauty.....

Nope, Sally and I are envious. Although I shouldn't speak for Sally. I've been stressing for a long time about getting my orchids out of the gh and inside for the winter. Finally succeeded right after Christmas. This is a photo from outside where they now live. You can't see them all, but you get the idea. LOL!
Methinks I have an addiction to orchids, and other blooming flowers.
Have one more to share.
WIB,
SW

These poinsettia's, the 3 holly plants, a red tulip pot, and two Red Sage Salvia's followed me home from HD. Not to mention the four tiny orchids mentioned above, and the lighted Christmas Tree I gave to my Mom. Those were on sale for $2/ea. Ooops, I almost forgot those Amaryllis too! I don't think that we can be blamed when they tempt us with prices like that! LOL!
You are so right ima. She deserves it, and it is a beauty!
Happy New Year to you all!
DH, and I are going out Dancing. (One of my Life Resolutions is to Dance as often as I get a chance!) LOL!
Now I'm getting a charge out of knowing that tonight will be a Blue Moon. An appropriate way to end a Blue Year. My Dad is laughing in Heaven. : - )
To all of my friends here at the CA Forum, be safe and have fun tonight! I want to hear all about it tomorrow! Even if you just stay at home and watch old movies. : - )
Walk In Beauty!
SingingWolf

Home with a big bowl of guacamole, salsa, and chips.....fire going and a good book....

DH just brought me a glass of bubbly. We're home warm and cozy. Have fun, SW!

I plan on it. Nothing fancy, just a night at the local pub called the Pond for short, or the Ponderosa if you want to get fancy. It attracts a lot of the old time farmers, the old timers from Sun City, and long time residents of the area. Just hope to have a good time with family and friends, and hopefully good music to dance to. At midnight there will be party favors passed out, a glass of champagne, followed by a Midnight Brunch.
Since I'm the designated driver, I'll have to pass on the champagne, but I'll have enough endorphins going from dancing it won't be a problem.
Enjoy the Evening!
WIB!
SW