In Route to Norway

Sunny Hill

Just outside of Palo Alto, we stopped for one last visit at my Grandmother’s house in Woodside, affectionately called “Sunny Hill.” My great-grandfather bought this two-acre property back during the depression, when land was dirt cheap and it stood as an empty hilltop, surrounded by oak woodlands. When my mother was growing up in Redwood City, the family came up to picnic and garden, away from the bustle of the city. Today, the pines Great-grandfather planted tower over 60 feet high and luxury mansions fill the neighborhood. Grandma’s house stands out as a beautiful anomaly, built by my grandfather and my uncle John as the first passive solar house in the region, before the advent of fancy solar panels. Four levels, with decks all around, look out over Redwood City to the East and the Santa Cruz mountains to the West. The entire West side is a two-story greenhouse where bananas, passion fruit, and mangos once grew. On the west deck, we used to bake bread in Grandma’s solar oven. Her artwork adorns the interior, a large open area filled with music when Tevye practices piano, Uncle Michael and Aunt Edie play jazz flute and guitar, or Grandma sings. Grandpa’s favorite pastime was playing piano and so the house has always been filled with music and good memories.

Grandma served a fruit tart left over from our going away party. We all enjoyed an afternoon tea with Tevye and Auntie Katie as the sun arced through the greenhouse glass. Tevye’s leaving for college in another year and we did our best to convince him to apply for exchange programs in the Oslo area. I’m sure the University of Oslo must have some amazing summer music classes. Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/roaring.tree/SunnyHill

The Depot Hotel, Sonoma

Back on the road again, we drove up the Peninsula past the Crystal Springs reservoirs, through San Francisco, past our old neighborhood in the Haight, and across the Golden Gate. It felt great to be on the road at last and to have the packing behind us. It was a beautiful day on the bay. Sailboats and windsurfers and zipped past.

In Sonoma, we stopped for dinner at the Depot Hotel (www.depothotel.com), an Italian Restaurant owned by Aunt Gia and Uncle Michael. They also produce their own wine at the vineyard in Lake county, run a cooking school, offer culinary trips around the world, and produce a fun newsletter with recipes and tips. Tony, their youngest son is taking over the kitchen these days and his older sister Gianna was there with her husband and our new neice, Sienna, an absolute angel.

Ashland, Oregon

Later that night we hit the road again, this time heading up highway five to Ashland, a liberal, artistic enclave tucked in the mountains of Southern Oregon, famous for their year-round Shakespeare Festival (http://www.orshakes.org/). Half of Matt’s family is in the middle of moving to Ashland and we had the pleasure of staying with his sister Karen, a spunky acupuncturist with a flair for swing dancing. She’s starting a new practice in Ashland and just bought a beautiful house across the street from her sister Lisa, Lisa’s family, and a vast network of hiking trails. We got to feed her neighbor’s chickens, and taste fresh eggs. Over the course of a week, most of Matt’s family descended into the town for reunion that included fourth of July celebrations, movies, picnics, fireworks, Shakespeare plays, wedding anniversaries, a surprise birthday party, and two concerts at the Britt festival in Jackson (http://www.brittfest.org/).

Wall-e

One highlight of the trip was watching and discussing the new Pixar-Disney movie with all the nieces and nephews. I saw the movie earlier, in South Bay with my Dad, and it left a lasting impression on me. I don’t generally watch new Disney movies, or Hollywood blockbusters. But this film is something entirely different and somewhat shocking considering how many risks Pixar must have made in creating it. Over 700 years in the future, humankind has escaped from the Earth, leaving behind a toxic wasteland where one, lone trash-compacting robot remains. Off safely in gigantic luxury starships, humans have evolved into large, lazy, gelatinous creatures, like babies, carried aloft on floating chairs and surviving on a diet of liquid food, such as “cupcakes in a cup.” They live entire surreal lives, communicating through screens to each other. A probe robot is sent back to earth and retrieves the first living plant specimen, allowing humans to start re-colonizing their long lost home. Sounds fairly dark for light and fluffy children’s entertainment? Miraculously, Pixar and Disney have managed to pull the whole thing off with captivating artistry and taste. Incredible animation, and, more importantly, a strong story line, darling character personalities make it worth while. The entire first half of the film is without dialogue and doesn’t even need it because the physical comedy is so compelling. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, I highly recommend it. Beyond the grim circumstances it leaves behind a hopeful picture of the future implying that humans are capable of waking up from their destructive behaviors, to rebuild a green, cleaner planet with the help of benevolent technology.

Yamhill, Oregon

After a week in Ashland, we drove up to Matt’s brother’s farmhouse out in Yamhill, Oregon. Dan and his family moved up to this spot three years ago from the Bay Area and they couldn’t have found a more enchanting location. As you crest a hill from the East, you can see a scenic valley with grazing fields and wildflowers nestled between small wooded mountains. The house, build in the 1940’s looks like it’s out of storybook and sits back at the end of a dirt road next to a creek. Dan’s family LOVES animals and they own 5 dogs, 4 cats, 2 horses, 1 songbird, 5 rabbits and 6 chickens, give or take a few.

Chickens look like the most practical and useful pets and I really hope to have someday, when we move outside of Oslo proper. They eat kitchen waste, produce fresh eggs, and reduce the need for pesticides in home gardens. Imagine that. And, if you don’t get too attached to them, well, there’s always Christmas dinner! :) I digress. Matt’s other brother Jer came up with his kids and we all toured the Tillamook factory one day. Then, Matt’s aunt, uncle and cousins dropped in for a visit with kids in tow and we shared a magical evening exploring the creek, having dinner, and sharing.