Yes, it rains in California

photo by Michael Buntag

(John) While Kitty has been getting lots of snow and freezing temperatures in Michigan, we have had a whole week of cold and rain here in California. It has rained off and on since about Monday, making impossible to ride my motorcycle and turning our work parking lot into a small wading pool. While I'm glad it is raining, because we did need it, I would really like to see the sun again before I forget what it looks like.

No Cold Like a Michigan Cold

(Kitty) I'm sure it's not true, but it feels true. I caught a cold several days ago and my whole life now revolves around it - carrying tissues everywhere, drinking water constantly, not sleeping well at night, not fully "with it" during the day. People have asked me if I miss LA - that sunny, warmer land where I probably wouldn't have caught a cold. Nope. Not even when it's 15 degrees above zero here.

Michigan has weather. Lots of different kinds of weather. It was raining, then snowing, then clear and bright, then overcast and windy, then absolutely freezing cold. All in the space of only a few days. I love it! Even though I'm miserably sick. Eventually I'll get over my cold, and Michigan will still give me different kinds of weather every day. And then I'll go home to LA and be happier with the blue, sunny skies because I had a chance to dance in the snow for a while. And catch snowflakes on my tongue. I've got pictures.

Beautiful Darkness

(Kitty) I was one of the last to go to bed last night, so I crept down the stairs without turning on a light. I haven't walked in such pitch blackness in quite some time. I'm talking can't see your hand in front of your face blackness. I figured that I'd have some moonlight or some other outdoor light to guide me once I turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs. Uh, yeah, not so much.

I forgot how deep and rich the darkness is in the country. It's sooo beautiful! I've lived in the city for so long that I've forgotten what real darkness is. I generally have to sleep with a pillow or a dark-colored t-shirt over my eyes in order to sleep deeply in the city. Here at my sister's farm (for lack of a better word), I'm beginning to sleep with a depth and richness that I haven't had for a long time. If you're not sure what I mean, you probably live somewhere where there are outside lights on all night. All I can say is - boy, I forgot how much I miss the country.

No Fear

(Kitty) Last night (Friday) I had my second riding lesson this week. I'm not sure what happened, but Bonnie must've said something on Wednesday because for the first time ever, I was riding without fear. And what an amazing difference it made! I trotted, and learned to do a posting trot, and I did quite a bit of cantering. I've never cantered for more than a few paces before - I'd always been afraid of falling off. This time was soo different - at one point Bonnie said, "Kitty, bring Max back to a walk." I looked at her and frowned and said, "Aren't I walking?" I was so comfortable with this slow trot Max has that I was sure I must've been walking!

It makes me think about how we live our lives as well. How many things do we want to do, try to do, and stop when we're almost there because we're afraid we'll fall? By the time my one hour lesson was over, I was sweating all the way through my shirt (underneath my down-filled winter coat - it is Michigan in January!). Learning to do something well takes a lot of work! But over the last thirty years, I've chosen not to give up trying to learn to ride. (I don't see my sister very often, so it's taken time!) And now - finally - I am beginning to reap my reward.

I hope you find something in your life that you've once again decided not to give up on. Good luck!

Surprises!

(Kitty) What a great 24 hours! I flew to Michigan yesterday to visit my sister Bonnie and help her with some accounting and web site work for her nonprofit therapeutic riding facility (www.chumtherapy.net). What a surprise to find that all of my family showed up for a late Christmas celebration! Waiting for me at the baggage claim was not only Bonnie, but my other sister Wendy and Jim, and waiting at Bonnie's house was my mom, as well as my brother-in-law Bryan and my nephew Chris. My nephew Bruce called to talk this morning. The whole thing was so cool!

Then today, I got my first horseback riding lesson of the year - and cantered!!! I've never been able to do it before, but my new friend Max, a tri-colored Tobiano Paint gelding, and my awesome teacher Bonnie both helped me get it done! Technically, since I was riding Western, I "loped" not "cantered". See how much I'm learning?!

Gorgeous Weather

(Kitty) I'm not speaking for anyone who is living on the street, or lives in a flash flood or mud slide area, I'm just speaking for Kitty who grew up in Michigan with about 7 seasons and now lives in CA with about 2.

THIS WEATHER IS SO GORGEOUS!!!

It's all dark and gray and cloudy and cold and perfect for hot cocoa and soup! And I LOVE it!! The only weird part is that for some reason the backyard smelled like wet dog when it first started raining and none of us has dogs. Ha, ha! Weird.

Well, I'm done here. Time for some more hot cocoa! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

(John) Happy 2008 everyone! We spent a quiet evening with friends here in California to celebrate the New Year. Well, quiet except for the horn blowing, and laughing and games of Guitar Hero 3.
While we didn't get pictures of our New Years celebration, Neville Crombie, a friend in Australia, took these pictures of the fireworks that they set off every year off the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
He was there from 3:00pm to 12:30am to get these pictures.

Thanks Neville!