West Coast

The most disconcerting thing about blogging on the go is the fact that I don't have my own computer with me so I cannot post photos to the post.   This makes each post (in my humble opinion) somewhat boring.  But it would be presumptous to think it's OK to download my zillions of photos to someone elses computer.  Especially this one, which is my employer's work computer.

So I left my family in Chicago yesterday at 5 am and headed back west to Santa Barbara (via Phoenix) where I met my nanny family for a week's stay here.  Dad boss has a conference he is attending and the little guy and I have some exploring to do.  The family rented a very lovely old cottage right downtown, which makes it walking distance to many places.  Prime real estate I'm sure.  The cottage is a very lovely old house with high end Pottery Barn chairs and sofas and beautiful wood tables and sideboards, but the decor.  oh.  my.  lord.

 There is so much chachkiness (I know that is my made up word) I can barely stand it.  We were chatting this morning that there is not a single surface where we can put anything down.  Right now I type on the old trunk/coffee table next to an old silver tray sprinkled with fakeglittery  rasberries around a fake palm plant, next to a stack of old books a foot high.  The trunk only measures about 2x3.  The notebook teeters precariously on top of the books.

My bedroom is off the kitchen: a nice sized, light and airy room with an extra tall, extra lofty antique bed made up with fine linen.  A quaint old mirrored dresser is against the other wall...topped with a beauty parlor head, a stuffed black poodle dog and a full-sized, headless dress form in a lacy gown.  They all kinda creeped me out all night long.  A purse with red and black X's and O's hangs from the door knob.  And these are just the basics.  I could go on until the sun sets over this majestic Pacific.

The dining room is large and extra light with old paned windows.  In the center is a thick oriental rug atop a wide planked, glossy pine floor.  There is a beautifully finished solid oak dining set with needlepoint seats.  Now here ya go:  A huge stone urn looms in the center of the table with a fake ficus tree.  And the table is set for four on red  placemats with pewter plates, goblets, gold napkins in rings, and a meal on each plate of fake food!

 WHY???  

Just tell me WHY????

OK, the kitchen...I can't even begin to go there. I'm exhausted and going through sensory overload just thinking about it.

See what I mean about the photo thing?  Don't you wish I could attach some pictures?

Now we're off to the grower's market to buy some groceries.  It's a bit cold and overcast here this morning.  I'm thinking a big pot of chicken/veggie chili for dinner.  And of course a nice loaf of sourdough.  And a big cube of butter.  And maybe a fruit cobbler?  I told my boss I'd prefer to cook and not eat every meal out this week.  It'll be kind of fun cooking here.  Oh!  speaking of which...there's a nice, full-sized rubber chicken in the refrigerator for starters.

Oy vey.

Comments

[jaykaym]

I can hardly wait for the pictures. I was laughing out loud just imagining the scene. And I would have been totally freaked out to find a rubber chicken in the refrigerator!

[Diane Jacobson]

You have to post a few photos at least!
I can hardly wait to see them. I can
just imagine you there. Missing you and sending love to you at the coast...

[kim]

Funny! I can't imagine! What does "the little guy" think of the interior decorations?

[ellen]

How can we live without pictures of these wonders?

[naomi dagen bloom]

Picturing weird interiors...is this a fantasy movie set. Am sure your cooking changed the environment entirely.