Back in business (picture heavy)

The computer returned home last night from the "hospital" so I'm back in business.  You don't realize just how much you use your computer until you can't.  I wonder if there's a 12 Step program for computer addiction.

I uploaded our pictures from our holiday trip to San Francisco to visit DD.  All 6 of us stayed in her little apartment in the city.  DS # 2 "called" this for his sleeping arrangements.  My back hurts just looking at this.

While we did go to Sonoma for a little wine tasting, much or our trip wasn't your conventional Christmas trip to SF.  On Chistmas Day we did a "little" 7 mile hike up Mt. Tam.

After hiking quite a while, here was our ultimate destination:

As you can see, I'm a little slower hiking uphill than the "kids".  (I know, I know, this isn't uphill but one of the flat sections.  I was catching my breath here.)

The view from up there was worth it:

After we climbed back down, we cooled down by walking along Stinson Beach.  Someone's dog came over to say hello.

Another not so typical SF activity is our visit to urgent care when DS #3 dropped a piano bench on his toes.  He's ok but was in too much pain to hike anymore.

We drove to visit old friends we knew when we all lived in MI.  They're from Lebanon and prepared a feast for us.  Yum!  Isn't it great getting together with old friends?

Our next hike was up Twin Peaks for a view of the city.  On the way we stopped at one of the concrete slides.  DD says they used to be all over SF but there are just a few left.  You sit on a piece of cardboard box and slide down.  Of course I had to try it.

It's just gorgeous looking down on the city from up there!

We spent our last night in San Fran hosting a pizza party (DH makes wonderful homemade pizza) for some of DD's friends.  One of my sons enjoys making bread so he and another son worked together making homemade pita bread and hummus (sp?).  It's fun to watch the process because the pita's fill up with air during the baking process (forming the pockets) and look like balls before they deflate when you take them out of the oven.  His "helper" got a Jamie Oliver cookbook for Christmas and tried out a recipe for lemon poppyseed cake which turned out to be delicious.  DS #3's toe was bothering him so he napped on the couch during the kitchen fun.   I pretty much stayed out of their way in the kitchen and cleaned up afterwards.  During the party I got to cuddle with a 6 wk. old baby who was smaller at 6 weeks old than any of my babies were at birth.  So sweet! 

Note the special equipment needed for baking pita bread:

Not much stitching on the trip but DH and I drove over to Alameda to visit Needle in a Haystack where I bought some of the silks needed for LHN's new repro/adaptation sampler.  I'm splurging on silks for this one.

Yesterday I started LHN's Family Sampler.  I'm in a sal group where we're stitching a piece in memory or in honor of someone in our lives.  I'm stitching this in memory of my late grandma who was all about family.  I hope to have some progress pictures soon.

Thanks if you've made it this far.  We enjoy the rare times we can be together again as a family.