Maison d’Etre

I was in the Bay Area visiting my daughter this weekend. When I visit, we frequent Rockridge, a trendy community in North Oakland. Maison d'Etre is a cute store that offers items for the home. Of course the french name intrigues me. Maison=House and Etre= (verb) "To Be."

"Maison d’Etre playfully suggests the store’s reason for being, to celebrate life at home. Owners Patty Brunn and Fred Womack, artists, florists, ardent cooks, parents and pet owners have created a unique nvironment focusing on all things home." Info from www.maisondetre.com

Seattle

As you all know, I love the Pacific Northwest and would move there in a heart beat. Here is a shot that I took last summer as I departed Seattle on the Bainbridge Ferry. I was going to visit my dear friend Linda.

I just made reservations to go again in July! I'm not only going to visit my girlfriends but I'll be in Sequim for the Lavender Festival! See the lavender link on the right regarding the festival.

Cactus de Provence

You don't see many cacti in Provence. My Belle Mère (Mother-in-Law) is very proud of the ones in her garden and I took this closeup of one of them. She has to protect them in the winter against the cold, sometimes freezing conditions. I miss her. I miss her garden - even in the winter.

Lake Crescent

My buddy, Linda, was kind enough to take me to lunch at The Lodge at Lake Crescent in Washington when I visited last month. Lake Crescent resides in the Olympic National Park. Did you even know there was an Olympic National Park?

JL and I have reservations to stay in the Roosevelt cabins (with our own fireplace, thank you) for Labor Day, 2010. The reservationist was shocked they had a reservation; must have had a cancellation. Lucky us!

Road Trip

Last weekend I took a roadtrip with my Aunt Sandi to my favorite state of Washington. We flew up on Friday and drove home on Saturday. Our mission: to pick up her SWEET dog, Sugar.

One thing I learned is that driving through a few states is not as bad as it sounds. The second thing I learned, which I've known all along, is that The Pacific Northest is where I belong.

I finally met Sandi's best friend, Nancy, and was able to visit with my dear friends, Robin, Tony and Gavin. Even though the time was short, it was sweet.

See more pictures on my flickr account ~
www.flickr.com/photos/nfournier

Beautiful Rhododendrons were everywhere!

White Iris ~ Robin, you will learn to love them ;)