Jump into March

Steven managed to survive the Olympics, and is starting to recover while doing everything else at work that he put off! During the past couple of weeks Steven had stopped shaving, saying he was growing a “playoff beard.” Here are some before and after pictures – Steven hasn’t been clean shaven since we graduated Stetson!

Steven before - long haired and haggard

Steven before - long haired and haggard

Steven after - clean shaven and perky in his official Olympics jacket!

Steven after - clean shaven and perky in his official Olympics jacket!

I performed in a concert on Saturday, February 28 that Steven and our friend Stephanie attended. It was with the San Fernando Valley Symphony, and I was playing principal on a great program. The highlight for me was playing all the famous oboe solos in Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony “Eroica” that I have been practicing for auditions for years. Also, we both performed in a concert on Friday, March 5 that was a presentation in Southern California of the program we performed in the International Haydn Festival in Vienna, Austria over the summer. I played principal oboe this time instead of english horn, and had fun looking back at Steven in the choir. :)

To celebrate the end of the Olympics we spent a couple of hours at Descanso Gardens to see the amazing Camellias blooming. It was a lovely way to relax and spend some time together.

Collage of the beautiful camellias at Descanso Gardens

Collage of the beautiful camellias at Descanso Gardens

We were happy to also celebrate the end of another long bout of rain, including another day of hail.

Heavy rain and hail in February - the yard in the upper left is completely flooded!

Heavy rain and hail in February - the yard in the upper left is completely flooded!

Tonight we experimented and created Strawberry pizza with a balsamic glaze for dinner – delicious.

Strawberry pizza - dedicated to Jessi!

Strawberry pizza - dedicated to Jessi!

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Another week

Steven is counting down the last week of the Olympics, as he has been working very hard!

While Steven has been at work I have been sewing. In addition to a bunch of repairs, hems, etc. I made a cover for my sewing machine using my own pattern:

Before: the odd curves and angles made measuring for the cover a challenge.

Before: the odd curves and angles made measuring for the cover a challenge.

After: pretty cover!

After: pretty cover!

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Vday

The Olympics started on Friday, and Steven has been working very hard to make sure that things go well at work getting things online.

Watching the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics

Watching the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics

Valentine’s Day is never a huge deal to us, and good thing too. I spent all day playing bells with our church bell choir, and Steven spent all weekend at work. However, I made a nice dinner last night and dessert to celebrate with Steven.

Valentine's Day Treats

Valentine's Day Treats

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New

I am very excited about my new Tiffany lamp for my studio that we found yesterday while walking around in downtown Montrose:

Victoria Apollo Tiffany lamp 1-30-10

Close up of Tiffany style lamp

Close up of Tiffany style lamp

Steven has been working very hard on preparing for the Olympics at work – less than two weeks! Be sure to check out his hard work at NBColympics.com.

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Universal Hollywood

Steven and Victoria at Universal Studios 1-23-10

We went to Universal Studios Hollywood on Saturday with Heather and Dave to activate our 2010 Annual Pass. It was the first day Steven was back in LA, and the first day of the week it was clear after all the rain.

Apollo was happy to have Steven home, but was especially sad that Jessi left after her visit.

Jessi and Apollo 1-23-10

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Winter Storms

The winter storms this year are really something else this year thanks to El Nino. Our house in Glendale is fine, but it looks like we have a river instead of our street. Click HERE for a link to KNBC for video and local pictures. Steven has been in NYC since Tuesday and pretty much has missed the whole thing. I am happy to have Jessi keeping me company.

We experienced a hailstorm tonight for about two minutes tonight, which was very exciting. Hopefully that is the most excitement we will have!

Close up of hail on our back steps.

Close up of hail on our back steps.

View of the hail on the back steps.

View of the hail on the back steps.

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Weekend in SLO

Steven and I took a weekend trip to San Luis Obispo and had a lovely time together.

Steven driving to the Central Coast through a mountain pass

Steven driving to the Central Coast through a mountain pass

Our fabulous room at the San Luis Creek Lodge

Our fabulous room at the San Luis Creek Lodge

Patriotic sunset in Pismo Beach on our way to see Avatar

Patriotic sunset in Pismo Beach on our way to see Avatar

Walking path along San Luis Creek in downtown SLO

Walking path along San Luis Creek in downtown SLO

Perfect day at Pismo Beach

Perfect day at Pismo Beach

Monarch butterfly sanctuary in Pismo Beach - the brown blobs are hundreds of butterflies

Monarch butterfly sanctuary in Pismo Beach - the brown blobs are hundreds of butterflies

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Welcome to 2010

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Florida:

Adam, Jenn and Victoria at Cracker Barrel

Adam, Jenn and Victoria at Cracker Barrel

Jerri, Mom, Victoria, and Maddie on Christmas Day

Jerri, Mom, Victoria, and Maddie on Christmas Day

Fresco in his Kansas City Chiefs jersey

Fresco in his Kansas City Chiefs jersey

Our big gifts were new cookware and new dinnerware:

Plates from Ikea

Plates from Ikea

plates2

New cookware by Cusinart

New cookware by Cusinart

Seed starter kit from Steven for an herb garden

Seed starter kit from Steven for an herb garden

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December already!

Hard to believe that we are halfway through December already! The house is all decorated and we are about ready to head to Florida for Christmas. The past couple of weeks have been very busy with lots of playing of gigs in Santa Barbara and Torrance. I’m playing several Christmas concerts at Grace Community Church this week, which happily is close to our house. This is my last week of teaching and playing, and then I fly to Jacksonville on Monday, December 21. I should arrive just in time for Martinis and Messiah! Steven leaves the 22nd and is going straight to see his family in Vero Beach. My parents will drive me down to Vero and visit for a couple days after Christmas day. It has been raining really hard all last week, and here were some clouds hanging over the mountains on our walk this morning:

Clouds over the mountains in Glendale, CA
Apollo doesn’t like wearing clothes, but it’s so cold in the morning now (40 ish degrees) that I make him wear a sweatshirt. Here he is in his Stetson hoodie!

Apollo in his Stetson Hoodie

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Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving 2009 Victoria and Steven

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Steven and I had a lovely, quiet Thanksgiving with Apollo and a really large turkey. Continue Reading »

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