Springtime with Nice Neighbors and Cute Kids

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Peach blossoms in front of our house

This month has been bitter sweet. We have been in our new home for over a month now.  Things are settling slowly, and the projects keep coming.  We celebrated both our third anniversary and my thirty-third birthday with moving trucks.  My beloved Uncle Dr. Peter S.Y. Lin passed away, and we drove down to LA for the memorial service.  He was well known to be the life of a party, always putting people at ease with his charm, and the instigator of many memorable family trips to Vegas and Lake Tahoe. I miss his big smile and joking spirit.  I find comfort that he’s now at peace.

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Uncle Peter giving an unforgettable toast on an unforgettable night.

On the drive back from Irvine, we stopped at Uncle Hsu’s farm. He is my father’s classmate from Taiwan. He retired from running a restaurant to purchase 10 acres of land and work as  farmer with his son Joseph, and his family.   They grow specialty crops for Asian markets, persimmons, sakura peaches, and bamboo shoots. They also grow a few rows of Pomelos, oranges,  kumquat, and veggies for personal consumption and gifts.  We were so lucky to spend a day here and leave with bags of delicious fresh fruit and kolrabi.

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delicious mandarin oranges

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Hubert gives Uncle Stu and I a tour of the farm.

Back at home in Nevada City, spring has sprung! Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and frogs sing us a lullaby from the swale as we fall asleep.

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Tulips, daffodils, and more near the sidewalk

Stu and I each help another neighbor head chef make a common meal for 20+ people. Stu and Nancy makes spicy stew and roast chicken.  Julie and I have the fun of April Fool’s Day Dinner, which was Dessert for Dinner and Dinner for dessert.

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Julie Maria and Mags make April Fool’s Day Common meal, Pie a la mode (beet colored turkey pot pie with mashed potatoes and gravy) for dinner, and “meatloaf, veggies and mashed potatoes” for dessert

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Dessert! Primal style banana bread with candy peas, vanilla ice cream and a berry chocolate sauce.

We briefly catch some Easter decked children before the egg hunt.

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Easter egg hair

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Grapevine row. Ours is first on the left

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Oliver sometimes hangs out on our porch.

Nesting continues. Painting, unpacking, organizing and all that. Photos coming once things are unpacked and moved in.  I feel comfortable enough that I’ve started the process of incorporation and a hunt for office space.  We also had our first hula hoop jam yesterday and I’m excited to teach as a certified Hoopnotica instructor. Stu works from home and also works as an farm intern for Living Lands Agrarian Network. We do miss seeing close friends and family, but the joys of settling down in our own home are great.  I look forward to creating our next post, the top photos of our year+ of travel!

More photos here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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5 Responses to Springtime with Nice Neighbors and Cute Kids

  1. Hurrah! Your house is so great, and all those flowering trees are just gorgeous. Thanks so much for the pictures and funny April Fool’s Day dinner story. We’re missing Peter too, and that’s one of my favorite photos of him.

    We love you both and miss you. Can’t wait to visit.

  2. Theresa says:

    I’ve devoured the blog over the last week and just got to the last post and am so sad there are not more to read! 🙁 Did you start a new blog? I was so looking forward to reading how things were going along in Nevada City!

    • Mags says:

      Theresa, we have not started a new blog. Life has just gotten much more busy and we haven’t blogged for a long time. I do like a blog as a scrap book of important and memorable events. You are inspiring me to update!

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