The Last Day Of Vacation Part Two...

"In matters of healing the body or mind, vacation is a true genius!"

~Mehmet Murat ildan

After we finished at Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and headed into Marin for dinner. We had a Groupon for an Italian restaurant in San Rafael. The restaurant name, Gaspare's, may sound familiar to you, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you might remember it  as the name of the Italian restaurant Woody Allen used in the movie Blue Jasmine. But the one we visited the other day, while still owned by the same family, was their Marin County restaurant, as opposed to their Geary Boulevard restaurant that was seen in the film. Same food, different location.

The drive into Marin was nothing short of breathtaking, but I always get a little sentimental about that bridge, no matter how many times I see it, I always feel like I am seeing it for the very first time. I love it so much. And I love Marin County. It had been a long time since we drove along the shore of Sausalito, and weaved our way through the hills of that part of Marin. It was the perfect way to bring our vacation to a close, and so was eating at Gaspare's. The pizza was delicious, and the service impeccable, and we had a very good time, reminiscing about the best parts of our vacation. We had a blast this vacation! I kinda love doing the staycation thing, and pretending to be a tourist! I like coming home to my own bed at the end of the day!

November 5th, 2014 Part Two

Marin County Vista

 The View From Sausalito

 

Gaspare's Italian Restaurant

Yummy... Gaspare's, I will be back for more of your delicious food.

Next time San Francisco!

Jasmine's booth please!

Thanks Woody, wherever you are!

Leaf Of The Day

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Great American Christmas Light Fight: Good Luck Mize Family Of San Rafael!

"Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year... and yet... for all that, when it speaks, it's voice has strong authority."

~W.J. Cameron

There is some special holiday magic in the air, it's making me smile from ear to ear! The magic is coming from a most unlikely source... Reality TV! That's right, REALITY TV! If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I do indeed watch my share of reality television. In fact, Alan, my husband, might say I watch more than my share, and okay, guilty. It's kind of a guilty pleasure, but to be honest, I have started to enjoy it less and less. I don't want to get in too deep about why, and what specific elements have begun to ware on me, I will save that for a different post, because right now I want to share only positive feelings, because I have finally found a reality program that truly spreads joy, and made me feel good about tuning in. If you are interested in such a show, tune into the new ABC reality show, The Great American Christmas Light Fight!

The show features different families from around America, who have such love for Christmas, and the holiday season, that they share it not just with family and loved ones, but with their neighbors and community as well, by decorating their houses and yards with twinkly lights, and holiday inflatables, and manger scenes, and every lovely decorative idea possible! Some include interactive decorations, some gather donations for charity, some share holiday heirlooms passed down for generations! Others re-purpose household items, while others feature decorations that are handmade or planet friendly! You, the viewer, are introduced to some truly joyous, loving, hardworking, creative people, and it leaves you definitely feeling the holiday spirit!

The Great American Christmas Light Fight airs on Mondays, with 2 back to back episodes, and this coming Monday night, December 23rd, it will feature the only house in the Bay Area to compete!  The Mize Family of San Rafael, in Marin County! When I heard we had some Bay Area friends to root for, I just had to pay a visit to the house, and see the artistry for myself! Let me tell you, I knew it would be lovely, but I wasn't prepared for just how amazing their holiday display was! 

Here, See For Yourself...













The Mize Family also included a wonderful old fashioned manger scene, kind of like the ones that graced lawns when I was a child. These scenes have gotten much more sophisticated over the years, but I really miss this kind. This part of their display really brought back some fond memories of the holiday decorations of yards on the street I grew up on. It was always a treat to see the decoration begin the day after Thanksgiving, and one particular yard had a manger just like this one! I miss the folks who lived there, all my old friends from the street who have grown up and moved away, so seeing this display made me quite misty eyed, in a good way, as I marveled at how many years have gone by! Sigh. :) Suddenly, while the air was a bit chilly, I was feeling really warm inside! 

 


The prize for winning is $50,000 and a pretty nifty Christmas light shaped trophy! I can't imagine the Mize family not being victorious come Monday night, but I will update this post after the show!

Thank You Mize Family, And Good Luck Monday Night! Alan and I will Be Cheering You On!

 

 :)
Mood: Inspired/Happy/Nostalgic/Christmasy

~Me :)

Note: The show is currently looking for new holiday homes to feature next season, here is the link if you would like to apply...

The Great American Christmas Light Fight... Apply Now 

Dear ABC... Please create and air more reality shows like this one!