travel: tourism in my own backyard

I’m lucky to live right by San Francisco, which is surrounded by a lot of natural beauty. And the reunion with my sister and brothers included lunch and window shopping in the Mission the day after Christmas. I had my siblings stroll with me into a boutique shop where I bought a gold chain with a tiny rose quartz pendant and an enamel pin in colors I love. I almost bought a book on graphic design to resist capitalism (copyright 2007) at that local independent store. I wish I'd bought the book (ironic!). And I so wanted to peruse another bookstore.

While waiting for my other brother and sister-in-law and nephew to arrive, I did go into a store, drawn to the byline, "tools for nomads." I saw portable watercolor sets perfect for Eli to go with the drawing pads, pencils and pens that I gave him to use for his Sketchbook Skool class on urban sketching. They finally arrived, and we ate lunch at Señor Sisig. I actually would have preferred my nachos without the tofu as I found the soybean curd too sweet, but the crunchy chips helped me to demolish them sans tofu.

I did have Eli accompany me back into the gift shop, and we chose a Japanese watercolor set with a pigment pen and a travel watercolor brush pen with a barrel to fill with water. 

 

After exploring the Mission and failing to find a coffeehouse to hang out, we went on Alex's suggestion to the Tunnel Tops. We parked by the Disney Museum and the dog park.

The views already from afar were gorgeous despite the blustery weather.  Maps are a good thing to draw in one's sketchbook maybe.

Ahh, I see now why the national park is called the Tunnel Tops; it's above where I've sometimes driven to get on the Golden Gate Bridge.

  

And of course, I needed to read the history of the fort point.

 

Further closer to the headland were more incredible views of the bay.

Since we couldn't find a nearby café, we headed to Japantown for coffee and tea and to drop off Alex and Gen at the Kabuki. I plan on sketching this structure in my journal.

 

While waiting for my boba tea, I did a teeny bit of window shopping.

 

I told my niece next year that I won't shop Five Below and that I'll find gifts at Daiso instead and that we should bring all my grandnieces to Japantown after thanksgiving. I'm already looking forward to our next holiday gathering and family reunion.

celebration: christmas family album

I was full of trepidation before reuniting with my siblings: I've been estranged from my sister who resides in San Francisco (just a 15 minute drive away) and a brother who resides in San Diego and whom I hadn't seen since the Christmas before the pandemic. December 25th was without negative incident, thankfully and hopefully, baby steps toward reconciliation and warmer relationships. Children made the holiday a lot merrier as shown in the pics shared by my sister-in-law and niece. 

Below are my brother's oldest grandson and grandchild as well as his youngest grandson and grandchild.

 

Darn cute.

And Bexley was less crabby this year while Halo was still her adorable self.

Dani cracked us all up with her hoarse voice, and Damian was scampering all over the house and backyard.

 

These two remain my favorite grandnieces.

My niece insisted on taking pics of the receivers with their presents from me.

Bexley and Isla.

 

While the kids were decorating cookies (last year I got to help them construct cookie houses), I was cooking dumplings.

And the chicken and cilantro wontons and my dipping sauce of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, crushed garlic, sesame seeds and scallions were a hit with the kids. I look forward already to next Christmas.

cook: green bean casserole

I think the one time I had cooked green bean casserole before this Christmas, I used canned everything: green beans, cream of mushroom soup of the iconic red and white label brand, and a canister of fried onions. This time I cooked from scratch except for the fried onions. And I'm using my failed butter dish by shaving the top of the butter bar. 

I bought the mushrooms and green beans from the warehouse store.

I kept tasting my sautéed mushrooms in their roux. Oh yeah, much better than Campbell's cream of mushroom.

It was time to also cook dinner of pork chops and mashed potatoes and a serving of green bean casserole.

And I've lots and lots of leftover green bean casserole as my family hadn't eaten much of it.

cook + craft: the art of the wrap and a salmon bowl

I’m a huge fan of Kraft or brown paper bag for wrapping presents, but this year I’ve been using butcher paper instead though I used what holiday wrap was in the closet for the presents that my husband is giving to the children in his family. My presents look like branding I'm copying from Crate and Barrel. We only buy Christmas gifts for kids. He gave toys while I gave crafts and books...                 

I took a break from wrapping to watch Odio il Natale...

Coincidentally, the two soon-to-join lovebirds were eating panettone laced with cannabis and I had just sliced myself the Italian buttery yeast bread studded with citron fruit and golden raisins (minus the marijuana) to eat and sip my cuppa.

Yeah my husband bakes himself chocolate concoctions while I buy European commercially baked treats.

Earlier, I made myself a not so simple lunch of a salmon bowl. After ceramics class the previous day, I picked up broiled salmon for half off at the Japanese grocery store and then went to town on chopped vegetables: cucumber, carrots, red cabbage, cilantro, and green leaf lettuce....

....boiled rice vermicelli and mixed boiling water with sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, lime pulp, chopped garlic, Sriracha (because I had no sambal oelek and couldn't dig for the Thai chilies in my freezer)....

which made for a non-oil dressing with bright salty acidity to soak into the rice noodles and lend contrast to the oily fish and crunchy vegetables. A perfect lunch to use up ingredients in my fridge and pantry.

And so I'll be making more of these salad bowls during the winter break ahead.

consumerist consumption: holiday gifting

On Black Friday, I went to my local public library and scored! And then to my favorite boutique gift shop. And then picked up lunch from my favorite Japanese grocery store.                  

I'd been looking for a steamer basket for months! I so didn't want to order one from Amazon. I'm thinking of getting another one and creating a gift basket with chili sauces for my nephew, but could I include a bag of frozen dumplings? Or maybe I just find a small wok from World Market and a cookbook? Wrap it all in cellophane to allow a bit of gawking before opening. I love individualizing gifts.           

 

And the grandnieces who will be getting these plush dolls wore their advent necklaces.

My niece and nephew also messaged me pics of their kids crafting the advent presents I sent.                    

 

I also sent them an Elf on the Shelf, but I didn't send the 2-year-old anything, a major remiss on my part.

 

He doesn't look too left out from my holiday giving thankfully. But yesterday I ordered online a book and a toy. 

On Sunday I went a bit nuts at the discount store on getting these kids crafting kits or games or art supplies. And then to Michael's for even more crafting kits and art supplies for the nephew. Must. stop. shopping. And so the plan for the rest of the week is to wrap these gifts as a craftivity and fuhgettaboutit.                      

And last night I broke open my wedding anniversary gift of a bigass bottle of my favorite wine and ate the rest of the hotpot ingredients in my fridge.

I splurged on another journal. 

Last spring I took a 2-D art class at a community college, and I want to get back into some kind of art practice but not in a college class with deadlines for submission. And so I'm thinking something more self-paced and freewheeling like Sketchbook Skool or online classes from an art museum.