How to Video - how to turn Max into Mommy... Abracadabra

I end up spending lots of time with Max when everyone else is busy with their stuff. I must say it is quite a treat. So we do lots of our stuff... included in this is making videos it seems. Today while at Blue Canoe Coffee and Tea we came up with a game where we change each other into other people. It is pretty tricky so don't be surprised if Max turns you into something next time you see him. Enjoy!

I got myself into a little fix - "what shall I do?"

One day on our family vacation - when I came back from my morning walk, coffee and a morning bun with my youngest grandson - I was met by two frantic grandchildren and their concerned parents.

It seems that while I was gone my almost five year old grandson had shared with his 7 year old girl cousin a conversation he had had with me on a walk the week before. Now with my return to the house they expressed their worry about my possible demise at the hands of some evil people involved in a war. The seven year old met me at the door, "they won't kill you - will they grandpa?" "What?" "Sage says they are killing people. They won't kill you - will they grandpa?"

Grandma came to my rescue reminding me of my conversation with Sage the past week when he was staying with us. Looking at me, the parents, me, she said, “You should explain grandpa.”

On our walk I had told Sage how angry I was about the on going war in Iraq and how I was going to go and tell our leaders that they needed to stop getting people killed and how I was going to go to Washington and tell them that this craziness needs to stop, NOW! etc, etc, etc.

Sage seemed pretty into it at the time and I was letting off some steam.

It seemed like a good idea to share my plans with him on our walk that day.

I was thinking about how my wife and I had taken our youngest child on marches against guns in the neighborhood and in support of the farmworkers. I was thinking about how I had marched in the city before the war started. I was thinking about how I wanted Sage to have some outrage of his own about the injustices that we face each day and the injustices he would face.

I wasn't thinking about how this would translate to a 5 year old and I certainly wasn't thinking about what their parents would think about my conversation when they couldn't get their kids to sleep at night because they thought their grandfather would be killed on his mission.

I sat down and explained to my grandchildren that no one was going to kill me and that I was not going to the place where the war was but to Washington D.C. where our leaders work. I told them I was just going to join with others in protest to the war and I was not going to get hurt in any way.

The grandkids took the explanation well and the parents seemed to be understanding, again, of my slightly bad judgment in what I said/say to their kids.

But I am not out of the woods yet.

Today when I saw my granddaughter (a full two weeks after my explanation talk) she ran up to me and whispered, "grandpa, have you gone to talk to them about the war yet?"

Before I answered I had to make a decision - a quick decision. I paused... and thought...

"No Rose, I am going to do that in the Fall" and I will - for the sake of my grandchild

Reporting from our small, but important, place in the world

Tip of the Day #5 - Morning Buns

Sorry I have been off line in Salt Lake City for the past few days...

I can't resist one more post from my vacation on the North Coast. Each morning my almost two year old grandson and I took a hike (so his mom could get her day started) to a most wonderful bakery. Two Fish Bakery has lots of outstanding baked goods but if you ask my grandson they make the bast "Morning Buns" in the world (I think they are every bit as good as the legendary morning bun from La Farine in Oakland). If you want to see just how good a morning bun can be just take a look at this video of Max devouring his first morning bun...

If you ever get to The Sea Ranch check out Two Fish.

Reporting from the outskirts of our one small place in the world.

Max's Small Place in the World

My almost two year old Grandson Max just loves his heavy equipment (he calls them Diggers). This is a little something for my under 2 viewers. My son tells me there is an interesting story about the Band in our soundtrack. Read more about "Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah" Enjoy

Family Traditions - Sea Ranch

I am on vacation at The Sea Ranch with my family. What an wonderful Family and wonderful place.

About the people...
This yearly family event has grown from the eight original members twenty years ago to it present form including; three in-law kids, three grandkids and a significant other. Two of our kids have had their weddings on the coastal bluffs adding to the memories of the place. I am so proud of all our kids and the people they have chosen to live their lives with. They are a wonderfully diverse collection of social activist. We have a passion for seeking the wellbeing of children in our world which leads to a concern for families and justice issues (political, environmental, international etc.)

WE ARE

vegetarian EDUCATOR social worker designer Hispanic Student photographer Portuguese musician FUNNY church worker ARTIST guitarist multicultural trainer farmer horticulturalist African American

About the place...
Myrna and I found The Sea Ranch when we were on our honeymoon twenty years ago. The Sea Ranch is a second home/vacation community located on the Pacific Coast about 100 miles north of San Francisco. We knew it would be important for us to find traditions for our new blended family and rented a little house for our family to stay in the next summer. Little did we know how vacationing at The Sea Ranch would become such an important part of our life together. For twenty years we have spent about a week together here each summer.

The Sea Ranch has a long history going back to the Pomo Indians. When a vision for a new community was being developed Lawrence Halprin, renowned landscape architect, drew on the Pomo Indian's earlier philosophy, "live lightly on the land," in his contribution to the overall master plan for the development. The Sea Ranch lifestyle is guided by The Sea Ranch Association and says this about this place...

The Sea Ranch is a rugged landscape, dotted with distinctive homes, that extends for about ten miles on either side of Highway One in coastal Sonoma County, California. The building design constitutes an architectural vernacular that is world-renowned. Its hallmark is the attempt to blend man-made structures with their natural setting, and to live lightly on the land.

The Sea Ranch (Rancho Del Mar) is such an amazing place for our family. Our days revolve around eating, hiking, swimming, beach combing, sunsets, eating, driving to town (Gualala), table games, DVDs, reading, laughing, Two Fish Bakery, after dinner walks, and of course - eating.

Reporting from my not so little place in the world