My husband and I just returned home after a 10-day visit to Southern California, in case you’ve been wondering why I’ve been so quiet online. I packed my laptop for the journey— foolishly imagining that I’d carve out time to blog— but our planned (and unplanned) adventures took over every waking moment. This long trip was arranged months ago, timed around Les’s great-niece’s Bat Mitzvah in Los Angeles. But it also included a lunch meeting with one of my new managers at my day job, an impromptu drive-by to the beach in Malibu, a side trip to visit a cousin in San Diego and a three-day stay at my in-laws’ second home in the Coachella Valley. Whew!

We had some crazy fun times, ate incredible food, enjoyed sampling the goods at a winery and stood witness to some truly breathtaking scenery. We also got to celebrate with Les’s sister and her husband at her birthday dinner. For the occasion, Andrea chose a lovely, upscale restaurant that used to be Cary Grant’s home! It was great fun, but after all the excitement, the various family gatherings, five plane rides and spanning three time zones, I need a vacation from our vacation! I’m sure you can relate.

Though most of our trip was mapped out in advance, we did have a pleasant surprise on our drive to Palm Desert last Tuesday; we got a phone call from Jess, the girlfriend of Les’s nephew, Ethan. It turns out that Jess’s uncle schedules the acts at a new venue in the Coachella Valley, and when he caught wind that we’d be in town, he generously offered up tickets to a concert with fantastic seats that we couldn’t refuse! Press play on the video below— I’m pretty sure you’ll know very quickly who we were lucky to see.

As exciting as the Stevie Nicks show was (she flawlessly performed every song you’d expect, plus a few surprises), I was even more thrilled about an event the next day, when I finally got to meet in person one of my favorite online buddies, Michelle from Art of the Beat. Michelle and I started following each other on WordPress a few years ago— my recipes caught her eye, and I found myself drawn to her music-oriented photography and artwork— and our banter in the comments led to email chats and texts, which led to calls and FaceTime. Now I consider her my West Coast bestie!

I ditched the family for a few hours to spend a fun afternoon with Michelle at Shields Date Garden in Indio, which included lunch (check out the jalapeño-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates, yum) and a leisurely stroll through the gardens where we received an education on various citrus trees and (gasp!) the sex life of date palm trees. Scandalous! 

The other interesting thing about the garden walk was that it featured various statues and stories about the life of Jesus— something I would not have expected at a date farm, but OK. If you’re familiar with the concept of “stations of the cross,” this is essentially what we encountered, and it gave us more fodder for conversation. Sadly, negative past experiences with religion are yet another thing Michelle and I have in common. Most of our discussion took place on a bench in the shade, directly in front of a statue of Jesus. It was very affirming, and we left the place as soulmate-level friends.

I also bought some mouthwatering soft Medjool dates to smuggle into my carry-on for the trip home. If I can resist eating every last one of them like candy, I will try to recreate those tasty jalapeño-stuffed bites!

It’s great to be home after our travel adventures, and the excitement continues at our house this week with the arrival of Nadia’s first Christmas tree. Our 7-month-old kitten has been batting at the lower branches, and I think we will wait a few days before stringing lights and ornaments— just in case! 

A new recipe is coming your way this weekend, so stay tuned and come back hungry. 😉

Just for fun…

As my hubby noted in the comments, there were some cute moments with wild critters, as we visited The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens on our final day in Palm Desert. The park provides great information about the animals, their habits and endangered status, and I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area. There was a whole section of the park dedicated to animals from Down Under. We never saw a kangaroo, but in “Africa,” it was feeding time for the giraffes! The park was selling romaine lettuce leaves at a concession stand, and some children near us got to feed the gentle giants. This one wanted to be my buddy. 🙂