Berkeley

After wending our way north and stopping at every mission, our next task was to find the Clark Kerr Conference center in the heart of the Berkeley Hills. Mike and I were invited to help with the International World Forums conference on designing spaces for Children. We have attended other World Forums in Nebraska and have made many friends from all over the world. After finding a tight parking spot for the RV and settling into our dorm room the conference began with a reception at a beautiful Julia Morgan designed church which is now the Hearts Leap Preschool. For me the highlights are always the conversations with people. Mike chatted with Patience who had just travelled 2 days to get here from Ethiopia, I helped Ken Jaffe serve the wine. I loved hearing about the containers of "junk" that my fellow Brit supplies school in the UK with for their "Building Yards". We ended the evening with some musical jamming with Tony and Robbie Christie, our friends who design wonderful play grounds for children in New Zealand.
   The next couple of days I mostly worked the registration desk while Mike helped set up posters. I made a new friend, Riccardo, from Italy. His team gave a fascinating presentation on Reggio schools in Italy. He had arranged to take 30 to visit an Italian immersion school of his design in the heart of San Fransisco. Not being confident to make the plans himself I helped him arrange for cabs to the Bart then cabs to the school for 30 people. It was quite a feat of planning and it was great to see the way people from other countries handled being sent off for an adventure with public transportation. The native Californians were the most apprehensive!!

There are always a few hands on activities.

Above are two of the key organisers of World Forum, Bonnie Neugebauer and Ken Jaffe.

And there is always fun music. Here are our Kiwi friends the Christies. Robbie had only bought his Ukulele with him so he borrowed Mike guitar for this song.

They explained how New Zealand children make faces for fun.Then they got all of the Kiwis at the conference to demonstrate !!!

Road Trip North

Well we have been back more than a week from our two weeks up north. When we return to our beautiful home here in Cambria we fall right back into our wonderful social life with our friends here. Last week included tagging native trees and plants with Brad, Raelyn, Laura and Crosby, lunch at Sebatians with about 20 locals,( a regular Friday event), a couple of days at Kelly's finishing the chicken coupe and enjoying the company of Bixby, dinner with friends at Robins before seeing "Michal on Fire" at painted sky in the old creamery at Harmony, Saturday crepes at Lilys (Rachel who sings with her dad in the group "Ranchers for Peace" makes the crepes ) with Tom and Lana, Ruth etc, a walk on the beach, music and dancing at the Lodge and then a ride up the coast on the scooter ending with music on the patio at Las Cambritas. WHEW !!!! and we still found time to enjoy our garden, reading and chatting to neighbors. How did we ever have time to work. This all to explain why I am only now getting around to up dating our blog.

    So we began our journey north by stopping at a couple of the missions. We have often driven past them without stopping but at our slower pace we now have time to absorb the history. First was San Miguel where we were in time to eaves drop on Sunday services with beautiful singing.  That night we camped near San Juan Batista and really enjoyed taking our time exploring the next morning. We talked to a woman who was married there in 1950, the year Mike was born.

Live oak videos

A little taste of Live Oak music festival

Live Oak music festival

Last weekend we went to Live Oak music festival. We are true "Oakies", fully embracing the "Peace, Love and Dirt" life style. This  family festival begins on Thursday afternoon when true Oakies line up in the parking lot to await entry to the camping early the next day.

Bixby entertained himself with a connect four game. Observing the patterns he made gives us an idea of the organisational process of a 2 year old mind

Father and daughter enjoy the music

Bix decorated the motor home

There was even a place to plug in your "stuff".

and brush your teeth.

 

Sunday morning breakfast with the Cache Valley Drifters is always a favorite.

A baby woodpecker being fed by his mom stole the show.

Plenty of shade under the oaks.

And a time to sleep.

                                                                     and enjoy a shower

                                              
                                           All ages enjoyed games, juggling, hula hoops....

and dancing...

and squirt guns.

Plenty of good food including Bixby's favorite chocolate ice cream and naan bread.

 

music, music, music....

Last weekend we attended a garden tour and concert at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens. Tom Corbett and Phil Salazar were playing with Hawkeye Herman. It was an evening filled with great blues.

creative play

I love watching Bixby's creative play. He has created many scenes around the garden in pots, on stumps, with plants and animals and the way he interacts with them is magical. Bixby has not watched any tv and I think this contributes to his imaginative play.

A cup of tea

Today after the beach Bixby and I enjoyed a cup of tea together. (I did find out later that his apple tea has soy in it. oooops Sorry Kelly. I may have added to his rash but it was cute and made him feel grown up.

Then he put bird seed in the feeder and sat with Grandad to wait for the birds.