The New (old) Fashioned

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I wonder if Don Draper would like this New (old) Fashioned - an Old Fashioned made with infused Chai? Perhaps if he stumbled into a speakeasy on the lower east side I'm sure he wouldn't mind throwing back a few (or six).   spoonbar in Healdsburg, CA has created a new twist on my favorite cocktail.  spoonbar is a really cool spot in Sonoma County.  They feature a great selection of locally produced spirits, organically grown herbs, fruits and vegetables in their cocktails and they showcase historical styles of cocktails while adding a modern creative twist. The atmosphere is vibrant and the decor is modern and fresh.  I just stopped in for a cocktail so I haven't tried their menu but it all looked quite tasty and the next time I'm in Healdsburg I will definitely have a bite too.  Can't wait to go back to spoonbar..............................

Check it out if you're in Healdsburg.

A FARM FULL OF FUN

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I love this time of year.  Fall.  Crisp mornings.  Yes, candy corn & pumpkins! 

My niece and nephew had a ball at the Santa Rosa Pumpkin Patch.  Have you been to your local pumpkin patch yet?  Hurry - the big day is almost here.  Go out and enjoy the fresh fall air.  The Santa Rosa Pumpkin Patch is a family farm full of fun! 

Getting ready to pick pumpkins. Say pumpkin! Although...my niece loves to say cheeeeeze.............. 

Aren't they awesome.  Blowing  up balloon art for the kiddos. Dynamite costumes..........

My niece ridin'
Look at that sour face... actually she was having a good time. Auntie just caught a bad pose.
Yes, she's wearing pink cowboy boots.

My nephew playin' with the cuties.  He definitely dressed the part for the day and he did not dare part with his cowboy hat.

Colors of fall.... cool cool cool....

My niece and nephew on a tracker ride through the fields.  They were loving the bumpy ride.

My sister and nephew trying to find their way out of the haystack maze.  I got a bit claustrophobic I have to admit... but I got through it. phew.

Gorgeous gorgeous Pumpkins.

Corn box!  Have a ball in a lot of corn.  Actually felt so good on my bare feet. Almost like reflexology. Corn massage?

They even had pumpkin tether ball!  what? yep.  My nephew beat me bad. Tether ball is fierce.





I hope you can visit a pumpkin patch soon. Have fun! 

Your guide to Bay Area Pumpkin Patches: HERE

A LEED PLATINUM CERTIFIED HOTEL

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I went exploring in Napa the other day.  In search of nothing in particular, I ended up at the Bardessono Hotel & Spa in Yountville.  What a sweet spot. The Bardessono can proudly say they are a national model for 'green building and operational practices' - this ultra-modern hotel is LEED Platinum Certifed.  

The grounds are way meditative...walking through you hear gently running water from a gorgeous rock sculpture and calm ponds filled with river rocks.  The Bardessono offers much much more... like an amazing veggie garden.

Looking for a sweet spot to stay in Napa? Check it out... It's all peace love and happiness at the Badessono. 

Lovely succulents in lobby.

 

SUNNY ROOF TOP POOL for LOUNGING and DINING & COCKTAILING...

SITTING AREA in the BAR

LOUNGE it up in the BAR

This represents the property to me...

FIG TIME

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⬅ Black Mission fig ready to be picked on our Ficus Fig tree!

I love this time of year... Figs. Persimmons. Chestnuts. Yum.

This morning I picked a bowl of figs for breakfast.  I actually had to stop myself from overdosing on this lovely fruit. No worries though...Ripe figs are packed to the rim with Vitamin A, B-6, C, B-12, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Fiber & Potassium! So figs are a great source to help control high blood pressure.

I love the slightly sweet taste and the gentle crunchiness from the seeds...It's an all around enjoyable eating experience.  

TIPS:
1) Figs are one of the most perishable fruits so purchase or pick within one or two days of eating 

2) Make sure they are plump with firm stems, not mushy and they should smell mildly sweet 

3) My fav... Poach in red wine or juice of your choice and spoon over good vanilla ice cream.  I'm going to do that this week for some friends.  I'll post pics.  

4) Enjoy figs with goat cheese and plain almonds. This is going to be my go to snack when watching the new season of Modern Family.  
or 
Try this: figs, thinly sliced fresh fennel, crisp arugula and shaved parm. Toss it up (gently so you don't bruise the figs) w/ a basic lemon vinaigrette dressing! Your eyes will roll back in bliss.  Happy Autumn!

ONE GREAT ENERGY

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After my my Yoga practice this morning... I just felt like smiling and I felt so at ease.... & then I thought about this idea...

We are all a part of a greater whole...We are all a part of one great energy, One consciousness,

One infinite mind...

BTW... this is not from this morning... I WISH!

That feeling of being at ease is why I love my Yoga asanas... because the practice of expanding my body through back bends and forward bends and deep lunges, twists and digging deep into my lung capacity guides me more and more to be aware of that greater whole.  

Take good care of one another.  Deeply love your loved ones. Smile at people on the street.  Be kind always.  Experience yourself in that feeling of being a part of a greater whole and see how it fills you up fully with light and love.  Besides, you don't want to exist like zombie.  love ya. 

REALIGN

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I went to see an osteopathic physician to get my digestion back on track and for stiffness in my right knee/foot... After two sessions, I'm not kidding, my foot/knee felt awesome and my digestion was back on track after years of discomfort. I cried (tears of joy). 

This is OSTEOPATHY: 

"It is designed to employ gentle pressures and body positions to encourage the body to realign to its naturally held state of equilibrium. The hands-on therapy not only works with the framework of the body - bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons and fascia- it also works with the internal organs to aid your general health. Furthermore, the function of the body is governed by the structure of the body. By treating this body framework and the organs contained within, imprinted traumas and stressors can be released to positively influence structural issues, as well as, affect improvements in digestion, lymphatic drainage, circulation, respiration and metabolism." 

My oesteopath is Kathleen Brannan Brown.  
She has the magic touch.  Visit her site.  I love her!   

Find an osteopathic physician in your area. 
Treat yourself. 

BELLA BELLA!

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If you're thinking about joining a wine club, think BELLA you get invited to cool parties. 

AMAZING ZIN

Bella Winery in Healdsburg is amazing. They host the BEST events. They have delicious wine and they are super-friendly peeps. This past weekend they had their "Under The Board Walk" Summer Wine Celebration - think Coney Island back in the day... (yes it's September, but it's not Fall yet in Sonoma County) the sun is still shining bright!

The event unfolded throughout the day with live music, family-friendly 'beach' games, face painting for the kiddos, corn dogs (and fries), a dunk tank (yep!), awesome wine tasting along the "Boardwalk" and Hoola Hooping for all ages.  I was so amazed at how people are able to Hoola Hoop I forgot to snap a pic. 

Highlights of the day, my cousin's boyfriend competing in the tricycle race which I also forgot to snap a picture of because it was just too darn exciting and I didn't want to miss a second of it.  Serious.  Oh, and the Maple Vineyard Zin produced by Bella Winery was another highlight.  Learn more about Tom and Tina MAPLE and the grapes they grow.   This delish Zinfandel produced in 2011 will be fierce as it ages. No doubt. It was super tasty. Smooth. Full of flavor. Hints of.... well I can say raisins but your palate may differ. Just taste it for yourself! 

Not only was the 'Under the Boardwalk' event a blast, the grounds and winery at Bella are cool all around... like this....

This wasn't part of the Boardwalk but this dining room at Bella is super gorgeous.

Back to the Boardwalk....

Get your corn dogs! 

I didn't catch their name but these girls rocked the ukes. 

Going deeper into the wine cave, which was part of the 'Boardwalk' wine tasting route... I had to wait to take this pic. There were tons of people walking through and finally I just asked people if they could stop so I could take a pic. Everyone was happy to do so. No judgement.  They just sipped away...

Wines on sale at the end of the Boardwalk. See the Sun!

Again, if you're thinking about joining a wine club, think BELLA, you get invited to cool parties & you get to drink outstanding vino.

More cool Bella items!

Super fun day at Bella.

THE WWW

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I woke up today and realized the first thing I do when I wake up these days is open my laptop.  Gotta stop that. 

So....what did I do instead of closing my laptop? I could have reached up to the sky in a glorious stretch or gone out onto the deck to breathe in the fresh fall air.  Nope. I Googled "the internet".
The internet has me in a choke hold.

Here ya go...the last 20 years...
1994 - Netscape Navigator released...is now the leader in browsing the world wide web....
1995 - Java script is first introduced... Oh, and Microsoft launches Internet Explorer
1996 - Ebay
1997 - Microsoft becomes the worlds most valuable company valued at $261 billion dollars
1998 - Google
1999 - MySpace & Napster
2000 - AOL and Time Warner merge
2001 - Wikipedia - cool. 
2002 - Nothing major with the internet but... A 660 pound meteor plunges the earth's atmosphere. cool.  oh wait, Friendster was founded.
2003 - The Concorde makes it's last commercial flight.  Oh and, Apple launches iTunes.  And I forgot to mention...Myspace, Linkedin, Skype and WordPress launch.
2004 - The Google initial public offering ( IPO ) raises US$1.67 billion - oh, and something called Facebook is deployed.
2005 - YouTube - become a star!
2006 - The one billionth song is purchased from iTunes. Let's not forget Twitter starts tweeting.
2007 - iPhone - Hallelujah!
2008 - Microsoft attempts to buy Yahoo for $44.6billion - oh and Apple launches something called App Store. ha.
2009 - Mobile Phone technology grows with increased use of 3G networks
2010 - iPad is now on your lap
2011 - Microsoft buys Skype
2012 - World wide internet use hits 2.4 billion
2013 - here we are... Pac Man has not eaten us (yet).

WIND RELEASE

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PAVANAMUKTASANA.  
you got it! 

PA VA NA MUK (mook) TASANA

In Sanskrit "Pavana" means "wind" and "Mukta" means release & asana means yoga pose or yoga body position. 

PAVANAMUKTASANA.
Otherwise known as the Wind Releasing Pose!  Get rid of excess 'wind' in your intestines and stomach.

Now...
Lie flat on your back. Be comfy.
Breathe in beautifully...
Squeeze your right knee to your chest. Hold 30 seconds. Release. Then left knee. Release. 
Now squeeze both knees into your chest. 
Grab opposite elbows or forearms, holding just below your knees.
Fill your lungs.
Squeeze your knees into chest for about 30 seconds. Continue to breathe evenly.
Exhale the breath as you release the legs.
Try this asana 2 times. 

All it takes is 90 seconds to help your body: 
- Remove excess distension of the bowels.
- Find relief from heartburn.
- Increase blood circulation to the head. 

Plus, it feels pretty darn good on those hip flexers.

I recommend this asana (yoga body position) in bed when you wake up first thing. Or, just before bed if you've had an epic dinner earlier. Or, anytime!

Want the yoga advantage? All you have to do is practice.

ART LOVERS

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A rare glimpse into the art studios of Sonoma County! 
Not to be missed. 

October 12-13 & 19-20 

Check out works in progress of over 150 local artists from Geyserville to Petaluma. 

ARTrails is self-guided. 

Go to the ARTrails site and see which artists are in which color coded area of the map!  

Map it out... & go................ 

DON'T FORGET YOUR EYEBALLS

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We make sure to pump up our biceps and tone up our legs but let's not forget our eyeballs! Our sense organs, such as, the nose, ears, eyes, tongue, and skin need attention too. By practicing eye/neck exercises the vision gets better and clearer as the eye nerves receive a healthy supply of blood.

Try these neck exercises that should take you only 10-12 minutes.

Sit comfortably with a straight spine (very essential).

Relax. Be conscious of the body only from the neck up.
Close your eyes.
Gently let your head drop backward, then forward and backward. (4 x's)
While doing this keep the facial muscles soft, lips parted slightly.

Next.
From the same comfortable seated position, turn your head to the extreme right.
Back to center.
Then to extreme left. (4x's)
Try to keep your head on a horizontal plane, chin level, don't tilt the chin as you turn the head. Shoulders relaxed.

Next.
Bend your head to the right, moving your ear towards the shoulder.
Repeat to the left, then right... (4x's)
While bending the neck don't lift the shoulders and try not to tilt the head, let your head move horizontally.

Next.
Like a turtle, stick your neck out as far as you can. In doing so, you will make a gliding forward movement with your chin, like you are trying to reach far with it.
You will feel a stretch in the back of your neck.
Repeat 4x's

Next.
Drop your head forward as if it was really heavy, then lift it slowly and roll clockwise several times. Keep the shoulders relaxed.

Next.
Pat the back of the neck with your palms and fingers.
Then under the chin.

Next.
Exercise your eyes. Head straight. Body Relaxed. Look up. Look down. Look left. Look right. Repeat 4X's. Close&Relax.

These quick exercises will help with eye strength. If we keep less tension in the neck muscles, our eyes will benefit. Plus, these exercises prevent 'double chin.'

A good resource for therapeutic yoga postures:
Light On Yoga, by BKS Iyengar