Where's the Volcano?

Doesn't this look like lava rock?


Except it wasn't. It really seemed like some sort of petrified sand... it had a sandy texture, but was hard as a... Ok I won't go there.
We never did figure out what it was. I had never seen anything like it, and nothing grew on it.

But it sure was beautiful.

Half Moon Bay

December is actually the best time of year to visit this part of the California coast. The annual Mavericks surfing contest brings pro surfers from all around the world to compete on huge waves--sometimes 70 feet. We watched the surf from the windows of Miramar restaurant...

But they were less than stellar. Where were the breakers we had heard about? I think they knew we were coming and they went and hid...

So we didn't see huge crashers, but we did have a fun time driving Highway 1 and stopping at all the little beaches between HMB and Santa Cruz.

Good times

are always to be had in Cali!

Dad and I always take a bike ride when I'm in CA. This time we took 132 by the river, then north and east through Ripon. Perfect weather...

We got to visit Grandma several times:

Anya came by on her way south on Christmas. Anya and I met several years ago when she was rooming with my sister-in-law Bernice and she and Bernice came to visit me at school. I don't know anyone more friendly than Anya!

Leitha and I are old friends who met when we were about 10... our families went camping together by the ocean and we were little buddies for a week. After that, I don't think we ever talked again until we ran into each other at Modesto Junior College. What a coincidence! *Not really* :-) We lost touch again the next year when she and I went to the same college in southern California, but I was on campus and she was in Israel. A few months ago we found each other on facebook, called a truce on our wandering ways and have been friends ever since. Yes, in real life as well as facebook.

We got to hang out for a while, but unfortunately I didn't get pictures of our crazy antics when we went ice-skating. You should have seen us, we were true professionals, doing twirls and jumps! Well Leitha was anyway... :-) This picture was in the State Theater after we saw Bella. A great movie, by the way.

Three generations.

Banket

Every Christmas, it is Dutch tradition to make banket. Banket is basically a butter pastry over an almond paste filling. Having grown up in the middle of almond orchards, I have developed this strange and unusual addiction... I eat almond paste straight out of the can. Yes, I am just that nutty.

This is how we prepare the banket. The rolled-out pastry is laid across the baking sheet and a line of filling is spread down the middle. Typically in Holland the sticks are made into your first initial, but it can be really time consuming, especially if you have a curved initial. I have only tried to do it once, and they all broke. Pastry is a finicky beast. Which explains why this picture looks so good--my mom made this batch. She is the pastry pro.


It is so good when it's done! I can't count the number of times I've burned my tongue on fresh banket. Put a hot cup of coffee with it and you have bliss... and no taste buds the next day. Totally worth it.

The Little Munchkins

I got to see my brother and sister-in-law right before I left for CA for Christmas, and it was so much fun seeing my little nephew and niece. I love Tys' big blue eyes...

Only 8 more months to go...

Until the 2008 season!

Snow!!

Sunday morning-
Blue-cold powder...