Do you remember your first memory? I have so many vivid memories from my early childhood and I wonder what is real and what is hopefully imagined. One of my favorites is when my mom walked out of the kitchen in our Lake Stevens, Washington home while I ate breakfast. I hopped off my chair and flew to the top of the refrigerator where I snagged a cookie from a ceramic jar. I flew. I know it to be as true as I know I am sitting on my couch right now.
My two best friends and I talked about memory in California last week. We’ve known each other for decades and took turns remembering shared stories, adding on to each other’s recollection with details that were clear in one mind and forgotten in another.
I have been thinking about memory a lot lately, as my kids are both at ages where their little brains store linear information they will carry into adulthood. Margot might have a fuzzy recollection of our last home, Ruby likely won’t remember it at all. Neither will remember life without the other.
(On the subject of memory, I wrote about my visit to our old home to fetch a few plants that are important to me because they were buried with my kids’ placentas. Click to read this week’s mama digs: out of my body.)
I write to document. I mean, I write to write; I have always written to process, decompress, reflect and explore. But, now that I have kids, I write (and photograph) largely for them. I write about our everyday, things I want them to know about how I feel, how they are, how I am, my perspective. I know how much I cherish my grandma’s notes about riding a horse to school in Kalispell, my mom’s handwritten records of every single thing I did, her first born.
Anyway, that’s a whole long intro into a whole slew of photos and a few words about our California trip. It was amazing. I love my friends. I love California. I love Allegiant Airlines for having $80 direct flights.
Day 1
We packed gifts for our friends, one of the items a box of Cream of the West cereal for baby Harper. It opened in Andy’s bag, dumping a whiteish powdery substance all over his belongings. This caused a significant security delay.
We arrived without a hitch, Lindsay waiting for us with open arms in that amazing California air. We stopped at her favorite Mexican joint. I was allergic to something in my burrito and spent my first hour vomiting on the side of the highway. Thankfully, Lindsay pulled off by a huge, beautiful oak tree upon which I could lean.
We first stopped off in Petaluma to fetch Paige and Arann and to land eyes on Harper, the boy I have been aching to meet. And then our motley crew headed to Inverness.
Day 2
A slow morning, exquisite wooded walk to the beach.
The girls and I went for a run before we drove into the city (which I have been told to NEVER call San Fran and to ALWAYS call SF). The boys hung with the kids.
Our drive in was (nearly) perfectly timed so Lindsay could take an important work call. We took a wrong turn, which is actually quite expected, with no cell service and drove until Lindsay shouted I have three bars!, three minutes before her call. Paige, Harper and I went for a walk and found a huge, soft, warm, amazing beach and the endless ocean.
In SF, we met a few of you kind folk at a bar (it was so fun! I’ll give more notice next time.) and then walked a few blocks to a party for a newly published cookbook that features Paige’s photographs. On that night when my one friend was interviewing some hot shot venture capitalist roadside and my other friend was the subject of much praise for her brilliant photos, I so felt proud of my talented bffs.
we had fun waiting to see if people might arrive / a few people did arrive and I happened to get one photo of Kate and her lovely family
Day 3
We packed up and hauled off to a different beach with icy water, sand like flour and tide pools galore.
And then a few of us took off to follow my desire to visit the Rancho Gordo bean farm and store. Turns out the farm is in Sacramento and the store is nothing special *at all*. It’s about the journey, right? Right. At least I travel with people who have a good sense of humor and the one and a half hour drive was stunning. Also, Ruby devoured a cupcake, I bought a flat of giant strawberries for $12 and Margot got her 1-2-3 swing on.
Day 4
We packed up and left Inverness, not without distraction.
Our handsome, local friends toured us around Petaluma, including Arann’s mom’s magical farm.
I want goats.
Our trip was full of good stuff, a wonderful reminder of the importance of our people. It felt a day too short, as it always does.
Words to live by, Point Reyes, California.
27 Comments
I’m so bummed I missed you, but it looks like you did it up Nici-style. Until you’re next trip…
Looks like your trip was great, Nici! Let us know when you come to Portland, Oregon; I’d love to meet you. I’m a Montana girl too (grew up in Kalispell), so in addition to enjoying your wonderful writing and photos, I get a little bit of my Montana fix from your blog. Man, I miss those Rockies.
oh, i want goat too. and sheep.
This whole post was amazingly wonderful. The images, the words, the relationships … thanks for sharing it with us!
Totally bummed I missed you on this trip, but I know sooner or later our paths will cross. I had no idea you were in Sac! That’s only like 45 minutes to an hour from here. Next time. Hugs!
Great post, awesome pictures!
Ahhh, I still can’t handle that you were in Petaluma and I didn’t cross your path. Did you make it to the Baker Creek Seed Bank? This trip looked wonderful for your crew and somehow, my humble town is even more beautiful when you blog about it.
That picture of Margot holding the goat nearly makes my heart jump out of my chest.
Wow, beautiful photos!!!
I was really sad to miss meeting you this trip! Please come back soon!
you and the girls look lovely! i gobbled this post up faster than a spiced carrot muffin! xoxo
Beautiful pictures! I love California,too. What a magical life you’re providing for your girls.
Amazing pictures!! Nothing like a little change of scenery to fire up the creative juices, eh? I think the next time you’re in the Twin Cities (ie: TC) you should do a meet-up!
Nici, these photos are exquisite and your words an obvious testament of your love for your friends and their homes. Loving your adventurous, life-loving spirit and the way you convey all of that into this little space. xo
One of my most vivid childhood memories was from the five weeks we lived in a rental home in Lake Stevens, WA (later moving to Snohomish). Perhaps our paths have already crossed!
I remember reading in one of your posts months ago about how your girls would only remember life with each other, and it has stuck with me. I’ve been having a lot of thoughts about memory as well, as we are about to leave VA and head to WA and MT to live with the grandparents for the remainder of my husband’s deployment. My oldest will have some memory of our time here in VA…will my youngest? Only time will tell…but it will be fascinating to see. I do hope that they remember at least the feeling of being surrounded by love in the midst of a significant absence over the next ten months.
Thanks for a beautiful post – can’t wait to get back west in a few weeks!
Love seeing photos of you by the sea – this family’s spiritual home! x
Love Love Loved all your photos! Thanks so much for sharing with us. 🙂
GOATS – ME TOO.
SO MUCH.
Also, I’m sad to have missed you being in town. I still want to pick your brains about the gardening gig.
Chat soon 🙂
Glad CA and SF were good to you guys.
THIS ROCKS….picture after picture that is all I have screaming in my head 🙂
Seriously cool beans
The arched, mammoth, climbing rose. Oh, the wisteria. No Barking? Tidal pools. Your pictures capture moments and create words, echoing good times. Sounds like your heart is still smiling a big froggy smile from your adventure.
Friends. are. SO. good.
Now off to read your article….
-Jennifer
whoa. is it possible this is my favorite post of yours lately? i just love dig at the sea. your pictures are amazing. so beautiful. love everything. xoxo
What a fabulous post! What a beautiful place. Those were some great pictures. Thanks for my morning happy!
All that whisteria is so dreamy.
You must get some goats, how could you not!
What a lovely life you live, what lovely friends you have!
And referring to your article: I LOVE the fact that they collected & saved stray earrings & barrettes! I am obsessive about knowing the whereabouts of all of Nora’s hair pretties (& I hate to lose an earring!)
Nora is notorious for ripping her barrette or bow out and giving it a toss. She recently chucked one out of her stroller as I perused our annual Art Under the Elms amongst several hundred people, booths, & activities. I didn’t notice until I had literally minutes until I had to pick up my boys from school. I back tracked, wildly dodging in & out of people with my monster stroller, eyes madly scouring the ground for the tiny blue & yellow clip with a cloth covered button. I must have looked like a CRAZY woman! I went back the next day to continue my search, barely able to focus on the lovely talents of so many artists. A hair clip may seem trivial (it’s no placenta ;), but it was a sentimental item that marked the day my sweet girl was unexpectedly born with DS. I bought that clip when I was pregnant, especially for my only girl, and I wore it in my hair during labor & delivery. I had even named it my “Nora Clip.” I searched & searched. To no avail. My heart still sinks. At least I have a picture of it in my hair, holding my girl just minutes after birth. And now, someone has a pretty little clip that holds quite a story, of which they will never know.
I am too attached to my “stuff”…hahaha!
But so glad you have your plum & willow!!! And that Margot! I tell ya, she’s a smart little whip! LOVE her comment 🙂
I love how much your girls love animals. That may seem like a weird comment, but I love that Margot is always mothering a fuzzy creature just like my almost-five year old – Nolan. (Although I guess he would be fathering.)
Still bummed we could not make it to meet you..perhaps in Missoual this summer…You did such a lovely job photographing the California that I, too, have come to love in the last ten years. Dying to know: what is the tide pool beach that you visited?
My favorite photo? of a tiny little figure on the left side and a huge ocean next to her. You have a real talent for framing.
Tammie, Katie, I do, Unknown, Finny, Erin, Ellie and others…
I should have given more notice…I vacillated between it sounding awesome and sounding awkward and then it was the day before when I was texting with my friend to find a place and time! Now that I have done it and it was a blast, I will surely throw it out there more heartily in the future. 🙂
I would love to meet all of you (and resee Finny) and we will be back to the area within the year for sure.
– Nici
Looks like a perfect Holiday, I’ve wanted goats too, even picked out names, but they eat EVERYTHING! Not very compatible with gardens.