Sunset at Rancho Palos Verdes, California

We flew to California to celebrate Thanksgiving withfamily. We were in Long Beach only 5days, but we packed many activities intothis short time. Before we left we boardedour cats Cody and Mitsou at the veterinarian even though they would have lovedto come with us. (Click on pictures to enlarge.)

Another cat was waiting for us when we arrived.

Ten people, three children and a baby were going to be atthe Thanksgiving meal, but it seemed that we prepared enough food for thirtyfive at least. We did buy the pies at alocal bakery where they offered a good variety – including mince pie, my favorite, which isvery difficult to find in Atlanta.

The menu included many of our family’s favorite dishes.

We were pleased to see our three grandsons, including the 4 ½months baby who keeps growing.

The eldest grandson’s 5^th birthday was alsocelebrated that week. The cake wasdelicious.

On the deck, a visiting squirrel wanted to come inside toget a piece of cake I think.

On Friday afternoon – what is called Black Friday by thestores; they offer big sales and huge crowds go shopping – we did not goshopping – we drove for about 30 minutes to Rancho Palos Verdes along thePacific Ocean. My youngest daughterwould have liked to be married in the chapel there, the Wayfarers Chapel, butit only held 100 people, so she was married in Savannah, Georgia. TheChapel was built in 1951. At the time itstood alone on an almost deserted cliff overlooking the Pacific. Now trees, flowers and shrubs are surroundingthe Chapel.

The architect, Lloyd Wright, son of the famous Frank LloydWright, was inspired by the majestic California Redwood trees. He wished to create a “tree-chapel” - redwoodpillars were used in the Chapel and coastal redwood branches can be seenthrough the glass walls from anywhere inside the Chapel. The glass walls offer protection from theelements but also create a sense of outer and inner space. Nature and architecture unite to create anatural sanctuary.

Below is a 1960 era postcard.

This Chapel is part of the Swedenborgian Church of NorthAmerica. It serves as a memorial to itsfounder, Emanuel Swedenborg, born in Stockholm, Sweden (1688-1772.) Swedenborg was a scientist turned mystic. Hewrote anonymously articulating a new understanding of Christianity. His writings promoted a Church based on loveand charity rather than multiple churches named after their founders based onbelief or doctrine. His ideas were endorsed by AmericanTranscendentalist thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry James, Sr., andEnglish Romanticists such as William Blake, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, ThomasCarlyle, etc. More modern adherents wereHelen Keller, J. L. Borges and William Butler Yeats. The well-known Zen author D. T. Suzuki wrotea book called “Swedenborg: Buddha of theNorth” (which I have had in my library for quite a while – but have not readyet…)

My husband and I were married in the Swedenborgian Church ofSan Francisco in 1967. It is a lovelysmall church and the only one in San Francisco designated a National HistoricLandmark. It was built in 1895 withnatural materials by an elite group of early California pioneers including thenaturalist John Muir. This churchallowed non-members of the Swedenborgian religion to be married there. We took our wedding pictures in theirgardens. The gardens of the WayfarersChapel are also enchanting. There is a reflectingpool in front of the garden and next to it an apple tree dedicated to JohnnyAppleseed. John Chapman (1774-1845) wascalled Johnny Appleseed because he introducedapple trees to large parts of the Midwest. He was also a missionary for the Swedenborgian Church.

We visited the Chapel in the afternoon and decided to stayuntil sunset. We walked along the gardenwhich is beautifully maintained. In2004, Eric Lloyd Wright, son of the architect, created a Landscape Plan whichwas adopted to guide future botanic development.

As we waited for the sun to come down we admired theoutstanding view and the outline of Santa Catalina Island in the distance.

The view towards the hills was also impressive.

The sun was going down quickly creating golden shadows.

I was behind a tree – it was hard to have a good view of thesun

so I hurried closer to the cliff to see better.

I purchased the little Self-Guiding Walk guide. In the back is this poem –

Pausefor a moment, Wayfarer,

on life’sjourney,

Let thebeauty of holiness

restoreyour soul.

May theharmony of sky

and water,leaf and rock,

Nourishthe creation and growth

of yourinner being

As yourfare through this life

and oninto the life beyond.

Blog Intermission no. 17 (entr’acte) Return to Smith-Gilbert Gardens

Last August we visited a garden not far from our home called the Smith-Gilbert Gardens and I wrote several posts about it, please click here to read part 1. It is a small garden but there was so much to admire that I wrote 3 posts on it. Last week since the weather was so nice and the foliage vibrant we decided to return to the gardens to see them under the autumn colors – we were not disappointed. It was a magnificent display. It is hard to believe that we were the only ones in this garden. Below is the Japanese garden area. (Click on collage to enlarge.) There were so many rich hues of colors that I kept taking pictures with my 3 cameras. I took about 332 photos – now it will be difficult to decide which ones to show. Looking down to the dried Hosta then up to the top of the trees was like an overload of brilliant colors – from pure gold to brilliant orange, saffron, Chinese Lacquer red, alizarin crimson, faded plum and still some greens to shades of browns – a kaleidoscope of colors. I remember my grandfather saying that when he had to babysit me when I was a child he would walk to the lavender fields and let me wander there – I could stay in there for hours never crying. I guess I kept this interest in the colors and scent of nature – I could have been staying in the garden all day looking at the fiery glow of autumn there and delighting in the scent of the drying leaves. There were some flowers too but since some were close to bee hives I did not get too close. The various hollies would look good on Christmas cards. I had not seen the pale yellow berries of the Chinese Holly (Ilex Cornuta d’Or)– they would be striking in a dry flower arrangement. I just went to take a look at the pictures on the posts I published last August on these gardens – everything was so green. Just take a quick look back there – it is such a difference now. I just could not stop admiring all the myriad shapes of the leaves, such as on the Jack Tree below. What about this Lace Leaf Japanese Maple? So delicate - Isn’t it a beauty? J’etais inlassable – in English – I was tireless – could not stop looking at all these gorgeous exhibits of nature. But while I was jumping from tree to shrub to flower to sculpture my husband was patiently waiting and looking at the sky. Looking up myself I realized he was watching a low flying airplane. I went to see if the roses were still blooming – they were. One rose had a delicate scent and a lovely butter cream color with a dash of pale pink on the outer petals. It was called Julia Child – a perfect rose for Julia. Close by was a sculpture I had not noticed last time I was in the gardens. It was a metal and granite piece by John Van Alstine, American, born in upstate New York in 1952. The Parsley Hawthorn which in August had a vivid green color was turning gold and produced petite crimson berries. Looking down there were some interesting foliage and looking up I could see some trees with branches with interesting shapes as well. In the distance I could distinguish some color – this was the camellia garden. I had not seen the camellias last august as most blooms come in the fall. Many cultivars of camellias were giving the right burst of color among all the gold. From single-to double flowers with rounded shiny green leaves they invigorated the pathways. Some were pale pink some had a pink color, which we would say in French “plus soutenue” maybe I could say a bolder pink… then some had the pink turning toward the mauve Then I came upon a camellia bush which was covered with a multitude of white blooms. It seems that hundreds of cottons balls had been dispersed on it – the petals were overlapping – the blooms were spectacular. Further on was another white camellia, but this one had single petals – fresh and dainty. I had spent a long time going from camellia bush to camellia bush and needed to find my husband. I found him by the pond behind the waterfall – meditating or looking at a frog maybe. Not to disturb him I walked away toward the little waterfall. There I was bedazzled by the enchanting waterfall surrounded by amazing colorful trees. I took many pictures from the side of the fall then facing the fall. Walking by the bonsai garden I was surprised to see that their leaves were no longer green – they are trees after all, not house plants. After passing the fast moving koi I thought I would see the dog on the porch, like last time, but no – the dog was gone and in its place was … a rabbit! It was time to go to the picnic area to have a look at the Chinese Parasol tree I photographed last August. I found it - its leaves were now a shade between a sunglow and light tan. And there by a picnic table was my husband with a Thermos of strong black coffee – just the thing to end this enchanting promenade in the Smith Gilbert Gardens.

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I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving – here is a vintage postcard from my collection. In the back it says “from Vera to Grandma – 1911” Note: Blogger Break - Post pre-programmed –

Meeting with Bloggers – encore

Yesterday evening I published the post below but it did not feed into Google Reader – that is, it did not update or show as a new post for my blog. This is a test to see if it is working properly now. If this post appears in Google Reader please read the real post below and place any comment there. Thank you.

By the way for the records, this current “post” will be the shortest one I have ever published!