(nope…you’re not getting any younger, so might as well enjoy today!)
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
I’ve been lucky enough in the past few weeks to try two new restaurants in Orange County…Royal Hen (website not up & running just yet, but check back) on Balboa Island and Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens.
Royal Hen is ADORABLE! From the inviting banquette seating area in the front of the restaurant to the pub-y atmosphere in the back, it’s warm, cozy, and a welcome addition to Balboa Island.
My sister and I shared each course, so we could try a little bit of everything. You have to have the chicken cracklins’ appetizer…fried chicken skin with a dab of avocado mousse and a little spicy touch. Melt in your mouth! We had a salad (I think it was a kale caesar?) that was dressed perfectly and chopped finely. The hamburger and fries are to die for…but the foie gras macaroon is too sweet to be called an appetizer, but might be okay if they added it to the end of their menu as a dessert…and the presentation is beautiful. We went right after their “soft” opening
and they’re definitely still working out the kinks, but our server was very nice, polite and well informed…but don’t expect a quick meal. When I have slow service, I choose to make believe I’m in Europe, where they never rush you and you can relax and enjoy the atmosphere and conversation. What’s the rush?!
The Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens is beautiful…as you would expect from Roger’s Gardens. It is warm and inviting, complete with gazebo for a small group dinner and larger areas for an outdoor banquet. My first meal here was less than great. I had the pork tenderloin and, to be honest, it was a bit dry. My daughter had the vegetable plate and it was a mixture of hot and cold, which was a bit odd. The RG-burger is definitely the biggest hit on the menu, and my brother-in-law and another friend with us enjoyed theirs.
I went back last night with my friend, Nancy, and we took a couple of seats at the bar, which was perfect! I had the roasted beet salad and asked for chicken to be added. I know it’s probably not too hard to screw up a salad, but sometimes they’re overdressed or just not the correct ratio of lettuce to accoutrements, but this was just right. There were lots of beets, with melting goat cheese and the chicken was a yummy addition. Did I mention that the ambience is second to none?!
I will definitely be going back to both places! I love the vibe at both….warm and homey!
One more to try that I haven’t….but have heard from Mare, Taylor and Amy that it’s great…is Cafe Gratitude on 17th in Newport Beach.
Have you been to the Royal Hen on Balboa Island, Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens or Cafe Gratitude? What did you think?
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
I had the pleasure of spending this past weekend in Palm Desert with some girlfriends that I’ve known since elementary and high school. We talked, and laughed, and talked, and reminisced…and talked some more. We stayed up late, looked up some old classmates to see what they were up to, had massages, saw a hilarious comedy show, hung out by the pool and had a ball together! It was like we’d just seen each other and picked up where we left off. It was just so easy laying around on patio chairs and couches catching up on each other’s lives.
As I was driving home I reflected on my friendships and how lucky I am to have such amazing diverse people in my life. I have these longtime childhood friends, friends I’ve made through my children’s friendships, family that are friends, neighbors who have become friends and my rowing friends. I feel so, so blessed to have so many people to laugh with, to cry with, to be vulnerable with, and to share life’s experiences.
I’ve heard some people say, “I really don’t have that many people I consider close friends” and I feel sad for them, but then, different strokes for different folks, right?! I can’t imagine getting through life without my family and friends. They lift me up, they make me laugh, they’re always there for me. I need that! ….but a friend also reminded me, “…but you cultivate friendships…they don’t just happen”…and that is so true! If you take the time to be a friend, you will reap the benefits of long friendships.
So…if I were to give advice (if anybody asked me!?) to the younger generation, I’d tell them to hold on to their friendships, cultivate them, be loyal, trust, listen, laugh, be generous. The childhood friends I spent the weekend with re-connected at our 30 year high school reunion seven years ago (although MK and I have been in touch all along) and you’d never know we hadn’t seen or spoken to one another in years, had kids, husbands, was-bands, relationships, drama. We just picked up where we left off …and continue to do so. You will be rewarded one-thousand fold…and as you get older you will have those friendships, memories and history together that will sustain you through life’s ups and downs.
(p.s…there are definitely some friendships that aren’t worth cultivating, but you’ll know when it’s time to ease yourself out of someone’s life. God I sound old!!)
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
Happy Monday everyone!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
I have never, ever, really paid much attention to politics. Sorry. I’ve always voted because it’s our responsibility & privilege and I hoped that my candidate won, but honestly it wasn’t something that occupied much of my thinking…we’d survive whatever the outcome. Until Wednesday morning….
I’m sure part of it was because I was really tired—.up for rowing at 5, stayed up late to follow election results, didn’t sleep well due to where the election was heading, waking up to the election results—but I literally cried on Wednesday morning. I was depressed and weary knowing that Donald Trump will be our next president. WHAAAAAAT?? As my sister says, “I will try NEVER to say President and Trump in the same sentence. I will call him Trump.”
I woke up to my friend, Gina’s, text, who lives in Dublin, “Glad I slept soundly through the night – sounds like a nightmare has unfolded across the pond…” …and she also sent me this (which made me laugh!)…. (you’ll have to cut and paste it)
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1579313672095397&id=113566062003506&_rdr
….and then I went for a walk and realized that the world didn’t fall off it’s axis, the sun still rose (as my daughter reminded me) and this too shall pass—although it might take four years. We all live in an amazing, free, country and need to remember that every day.
My motto…and tagline..as my sister reminded me, is “You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!” because, let’s face it…shit happens to everyone. Sails need to be adjusted right now for our country.
Sadly, it gives me a bit of comfort when I think back on the political culture of the past 10 or 20 years….our govt will probably be deadlocked on so many issues that there won’t be much progress. Let’s just hope he doesn’t push that red button!
…and then I wondered “why the tears?” and realized that it wasn’t for me or my generation, but for my children and grandchildren. Hillary Clinton and, more so, Bernie Sanders, got the younger generation energized and engaged about their future. …and then it didn’t happen. I think their enthusiasm has been sparked and they will bring us into the next election in a way that we haven’t seen in many generations. My faith is with them! Is it too early to start this hashtag now?? #imwiththem ?
“You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!”
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
About five or so years ago, as my kids were finishing, or about to finish, college and not yet in the working world, I had friends and acquaintances who were in the business world bemoan the entitlement of the young people they were hiring…. millennials …and how they didn’t have the work ethic of my generation. It was akin to what our parents used to say about us..”kid’s these days!!”
I work at a high school and I wasn’t seeing the same thing as them, but what did I know? I wasn’t hiring anybody just graduating from college. There were articles written about the fact that college graduates thought they should be making six figures due to their advanced degrees and I’m sure that was true in some instances, but, again, I wasn’t seeing it.
Well, fast forward to today. I’ve been working at said school for over 10 years now and I happen to know quite a few in the millennial generation…including my own kids. I was talking with some friends the other day about the millennial generation and we all agreed that we really don’t know how millennials got the “lazy or entitled” reputation. From where I sit, all the young people I know…my own adult children and their spouses; my friend’s children; my nieces and nephews; and many of the alumni at the school where I work…are very hard working, responsible and engaged members of society. Oh sure every generation has some bad apples, but let’s not lump them all in that one negative category.
In some ways I see more volunteerism at their age than my generation was engaged in. Sure I was the volunteer extraordinaire, as were my friends, back when our kids were in school, but I don’t remember volunteering or engaging with the world as much in my 20’s like today’s generation does. Our focus was fundamentally the same…to get good jobs and start families…but I think the younger generation is more globally aware and empathetic than I ever was at their age. I think some of that has to do with the emphasis on “volunteer hours” that many colleges look for on college applications and I like to see that maybe it made a difference.
The reason I was even thinking about this was due to this article in the NY Times. It was a Q&A with Rachel Maddow and Doris Kearns Goodwin comparing the present ridiculous campaign season and presidential election with past elections. It was eye-opening and very optimistic…in a way that I like to think of the world…and it gave me hope. That, in turn, made me think of millennials, the doomsday/negative predictions I’d heard in the past with the contrasts of the reality of the amazing millennials I know….and I felt like writing about it!
So, this time next week we’ll have a new president (ASSUMING ALL GOES AS PLANNED?!) ….and I have great hope that all the bullshit that has been going on will die down, we’ll get on with our lives and our country will continue to be as great as it’s always been! Just like the millennials will take us into the next decades of the 21st century with hope and social consciousness to keep us all engaged in this great place we call earth. YAY MILLENNIALS!!
(I know…I used the the word millennial way too many times, but I couldn’t think of an alternative one..and neither could the thesaurus!)
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
…Happy Halloween! If you want a good Halloween laugh check out these youtube videos of Ellen producer, Andy, going through haunted houses. Makes me laugh every time! Enjoy!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
What, you wonder, am I talking about? Some Chinese play it all day long, it’s been shown to fight dementia, it’s fun, it’s challenging, it’s social…IT’S MAHJONGG!
Conflicting stories say it was invented by Confucius decades ago and others say it’s only 150 yrs old. Either way, it’s a fun game played by the Chinese and other Asian populations …and in the U.S., interestingly enough, by predominantly Jewish women. I actually learned about the game from my sister, Mariellen, who’s been playing it for over 20 years. She taught me the basics and then I took a few lessons from some ladies at my temple and I was hooked! We both taught our daughters and we try to play when the four of us are together.
I went to a mahjongg tournament at my temple soon after learning to play and some of the women were way too serious for me and I wanted a more social gathering.
…so I taught my neighbors how to play and we continue playing every Wednesday evening at my house. Sometimes we have one table, sometimes two, sometimes it’s at someone’s else’s home, but it’s always fun and full of laughs. We basically solve world problems in the 90 minutes to 2 hours that we play….LOL! We play for quarters, but with a good hand, a good roll of the dice, and some luck, you can win a whopping $1.00! When I lived at the beach we didn’t play weekly, but they made the trek down and we played on the sand in beach chairs. It was fun seeing the reaction of the people on the Balboa Island boardwalk…especially a group of Asian women that were so excited to see us playing.
It’s probably not the same game that some of you play on your computer or smart phone. Every year the National Mah Jongg League issues a new card with all sorts of new combinations for the tiles. It keeps the game fresh and it’s fun to see what complicated hands the women at the NMJL come up with.
A testament to how great this neighborhood is….Kendra was walking home from another neighbor’s house, heard us and came in to say “HI!” …in her bathrobe! Love this neighborhood!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
